Russ is currently on a historic streak of three consecutive triple-doubles — with averages of 31.2 points, 10.3 assists and 9.1 rebounds in February — and is one of the NBA’s leading MVP candidates this season.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

After missing one game because of a facial surgery, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook will likely return Wednesday night against Philadelphia – wearing a protective mask, league sources said.

There is still a final determination to be made, but Westbrook is expected to play barring an unforeseen setback, league sources said.

Westbrook is scheduled to go through parts of the Thunder’s practice on Tuesday, a league source said.

The Nuggets may be counting down the days until the season ends, but head coach Brian Shaw is already on his way out of town. Two days after the Nuggets reportedly broke a team huddle by chanting “1,2,3, six weeks!,” Shaw was fired, according to a Yahoo report.

Denver has lost 19 of their last 21 games, and Shaw’s firing has been a possibility for months. His two-year tenure was marred by clashes with players, schematic disasters and an overall lack of effort from players. There’s no word yet on who will replace Shaw, but assistant coach Melvin Hunt will become interim head coach.

When Vince Carter leapt over 7-foot French center Frederic Weis in the 2000 Summer Olympics to deliver what would come to be known as Le dunk de la mort (the dunk of death), Jusuf Nurkic was 6. This isn’t a buildup to anything, no piece of fanfic that had young Jusuf in the crowd thanking the stars that Carter would never be able to do such a thing to him.

No, this is just about Vince Carter and how he’s been dunking on big men for years and seems to be set to do it for the foreseeable future, crossing up some anonymous wing before (sorry, Wilson) and revving that imaginary motorcycle after. He’s on his fifth NBA team, he’ll be 38 by the time you read this, he played with DELL Curry for God’s sake, and he’s still baptizing bigs. Nurkic is just the latest in a line that includes not only Weis but Alonzo Mourning, Rik Smits…the list goes on. There will, of course, be a day it all ends.

A 6-year-old watching now should not grow up to be on the wrong side of a VC dunk. Future Nurkics are safe. Although if that 6-year-old can make the League by 20, Vince will still only be 52. You never know.

“It means a lot because you always want to play good against your ex-teammates,” Dragic said. “When I was in Houston I did the same thing.” […] Two weeks ago, Dragic was traded from the Suns to Miami. Six games into his new surroundings, he got the better of the team he played with for five seasons. Dragic finished with 21 points on 5 of 9 shooting in just 15 minutes.

Dragic was fouled on a breakaway layup, causing him to take a scary (fall) underneath the basket. He landed on his back and Morris was ejected for the play. Gragic, who was dealing with back pain before the game, was surrounded by his teammates as he lay on the floor for several minutes. After shaking off the pain, he remained in the game. […] “I didn’t watch the play,” Dragic said. “I think I had a wide open layup and he just hit me. It was kind of painful but at the same time [Dwyane Wade] came to me and said, `Please stand up. They want you to be on the floor.’ I said, `Hey, you know I’m standing up.”’

Before Monday’s game, Dragic said he regretted some of the things he said publicly while requesting a trade. He never had any ill feelings toward team owner Robert Sarver. A day after the trade, Dragic even phoned Sarver to apologize. […] “I wish it would have gone differently,” Dragic said. “I’m not a guy who is going back in the past. It is what is. I’m always going to be grateful of that organization and Robert and what his family did for me.”

The 38-year-old, 3-time NBA All-Star was onstage with the Sauce Twinz — a Houston rap duo — when someone crept up on the unsuspecting Francis and tried to rip his gold chain right off his neck.

Problem is … the chain didn’t pop — and Francis was dragged down to the floor where the culprit continued to yank on the necklace while the discombobulated NBA star tried to figure out what was going on.

Sources tell us the guy ended up removing the chain from Francis and booked it. […] We’re also told police were NOT called to the scene.

Recapping the highlights of Monday night’s NBA kicks, Steph Curry took the court in Brooklyn sporting a special ‘Chinese New Year’ colorway of his signature Under Armour. Zach LaVine threw down a few jams in Minnesota while wearing the Air Jordan XI Retro ‘Gamma Blue.’ And while Goran Dragic made headlines against his former team—the Phoenix Suns—in his adidas Crazylight Boost, it was his teammate, Tyler Johnson, having a career night dropping 26 points while wearing the Air Jordan XIII Retro ‘Grey Toe’ in the Heat’s win. Make sure to check out the rest of our nightly recap above!

Hassan Whiteside’s temper got the best of him tonight and resulted in an ejected for retaliating against Phoenix center Alex Len. The fallout might be even worse for Miami, which likely will hear from the NBA about potential additional punishment. […] Whiteside got tossed with 4:26 left in the third quarter of the Heat’s 115-98 victory after charging at Len and tackling him under the basket. Len provoked that by grabbing the back of Whiteside’s jersey and shoving him.

“It was about the fourth or fifth time I dunked on him and I feel like he was really frustrated,” Whiteside said. “I shouldn’t have came back an retaliated the way I did because it really hurt my team… but every day is a learning day for me. But that’s what it was– it was just because I just kept dunking on him.”

Is Whiteside expecting more of those tactics in the future? […] “I realize a lot more teams are being really physical with me and I’m down for it,” he said. “That’s what I lift weights for. I’m pretty prepared for that.”

Or coach Flip Saunders, who thanked the fans for their late-game frenzy and apologized for once again letting them go home unrewarded. “I can’t fault our guys,” he said. “We came back, outrebounded them. Defensively, we held them under 50 percent. … Earlier in the year, if we fall behind by 15 [early], we’d lose by 30. Now we’re fighting back.”

“You’re playing these teams that have been together six, seven years,” Garnett said. “This group has been together 30 seconds. …When you take [the Clippers] to the point where they have to go into their bag and actually have to execute, it says a lot. At times our immaturity showed. But it’s promising.”

For the second straight game, (Kyle) Lowry sat out as the Raptors played his hometown Philadelphia 76ers Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. Against the woeful Sixers, it turns out they didn’t need him after all, as they snapped a five-game losing streak with a 114-103 victory. If left to his own devices, Lowry admitted, he probably would have been out on the court.

“At the same time, you are getting older in your career and you’ve got bigger plans than to try to go out there and force and force something, especially when you have bumps and bruises, where you can take some time to get healthy, the long term is the plan, the long term for our season is really the goal in mind,” said Lowry.

Without Lowry, the Raptors lost to the league-worst New York Knicks 103-98 Saturday night, extending their losing streak to five games. Against the Sixers, the Raptors pulled away in the fourth quarter for their first win since Feb. 20. DeMar DeRozan led the way with 35 points.

Curry had gained the affections of the crowd by leading a comeback from a 10-point deficit with under four minutes remaining, prompting chants of “MVP” in Brooklyn. But the Warriors point guard flubbed his final opportunity after Jack‘s jumper, attempting a reverse layup well after the final buzzer to officially fire up Nets coach Lionel Hollins.

“We can send all those Golden State fans home that came to watch here in Brooklyn,” Hollins said. […] “There were a lot of roaring when (the Warriors) were coming back,” he said. “But the loudest roar was for Jarrett at the end.”

Monday’s effort moved the Nets (25-33) into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of the Pacers. It also marked their fourth win in six games, a stretch starting immediately after a trade deadline that had most of the roster on the block. […] “My name was out there (to be traded),” Deron Williams said. “I think it’s a big part (of playing better) that you know this is your team. Before we didn’t know if Brook (Lopez) is going to be there tomorrow or Jarrett or whoever. So now we know this is who we got and this is what we’re working with.”

With Kyle Lowry taking the night off for rest yesterday in Philly, DeMar DeRozan stepped up to lead the Toronto Raptors past the hometown 76ers. He scored a season-high 35 points—15 of those came in the first quarter alone—to help T-Dot end its five-game losing streak.

Lou Williams added 21, as the Raps’ bench outscored the Sixers’ 66-45. The game remained close throughout the first three quarters. In the fourth, the Raptors went up by double-digits and maintained a lead until the final buzzer sounded.

Nerlens Noel finished with 17 points for Philadelphia, shooting a perfect 7-7 from the field. Ish Smith added a career-high 19 points and 9 assists off the bench in the loss.

Nets 110 (25-33), Warriors 108 (46-12)

Who had the clutch gene in last night’s Golden State Warriors’ visit to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn? This guy:

Jarret Jack might’ve finished with a modest 9 points last night, but he had the 2 most important ones that won the game over the League’s best team.

Before Jack’s jumper seen in the video above, Stephen Curry caught fire as he usually does. He scored 18 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 108 with just over a minute left. Andrew Bogut had a season-high 16 points, but his bad pass went out of bounds with 20.6 seconds on the clock and the game still tied. That put the ball in the Nets’ hands leading to Jack’s winning shot.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points, and Deron Williams added 22 in the thrilling win.

Heat 115 (26-33), Suns 98 (31-30)

Lots of…uh, stuff happened in last night’s match-up between Goran Dragic’s former Phoenix Suns and current Miami Heat. Let’s start with the three ejections—all in the third quarter.

The first was Markieff Morris (13 points) after his hard foul on Dragic was ruled a Flagrant 2 by the officials:

The second and third were Hassan Whiteside (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Alex Len (10 points, 11 rebounds) after this little tussle:

Despite all the roughhousing, the final result turned out pretty good for Miami. Tyler Johnson finished with a career-high 26 points, and Dragic added 21 points (including 10 in the fourth) to get the dub over his former team. Dwyane Wade finished with 16 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals.

Clippers 110 (40-21), Timberwolves 105 (13-46)

Gotta start this recap off with the best Vine of the night:

Glen Davis (12 points) just doing his thing—videobombing teammate Chris Paul who finished with 26 points and 14 assists in the Clippers’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to conclude a four-game road trip. Fun times.

The Clips went on a 17-2 run in the first quarter of last night’s game at the Target Center. They had a 36-23 lead after 12 minutes of play. In the second quarter, the Timberwolves had the upper hand. They outscored their visitors by 15 to take a 2-point lead at halftime. A couple highlights from those second 12 minutes, courtesy of the young Wolves:

In the final period, CP3 and the Clips came out on top, holding the home team to just one successful field goal with 10:18 left in the game. Minnesota’s remaining 16 points in the fourth came solely from free throws.

Ricky Rubio finished with his first triple-double of the season (fourth in his career) of 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Six of the seven Wolves who saw minutes scored in double-figs, but Los Angeles came out with the victory.

Mavericks 102 (40-22), Pelicans 93 (32-28)

The New Orleans Pelicans’ five-game winning streak came to an end last night in Dallas, as Monta Ellis (20 points) and the Mavericks took care of the win on their home floor. Rajon Rondo contributed 19 points (13 in the first quarter), and Richard Jefferson finished with 16.

The Pelicans had a 3-point advantage at the half, but then the Mavericks opened the third quarter on a 16-2 run. They outscored the Pelicans 25-13. In the fourth, both teams finished with an even 22 points, and Dallas ended up winning by 9. Norris Cole was the high-scorer for the Pels with 19.

During All-Star Weekend, SLAM was able to team up with AND1 for a dope event right before the Dunk Contest and Three-Point Shootout. Guests including Lance Stephenson, Rafer Alston and Kenny Anderson packed AND1′s pop-up space adjacent to the Barclays Center to celebrate. We were able to capture the event with HTC’s new RE camera, an awesome gadget built to slide right into your pocket. Enjoy flipping through the photos above.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/htc-and1-slam-party-photos/feed/0SLAMonlineMark Cuban to Star as President of the U.S. in ‘Sharknado 3’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mark-cuban-star-president-u-s-sharknado-3/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mark-cuban-star-president-u-s-sharknado-3/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 20:05:37 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=351214

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is now a movie star. Cuban will join the “Sharknado” film franchise, playing the role of President of the United States this summer. Cuban’s VP

The SyFy network said Monday that Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban will play the president of the United States in the third installment of the goofy “Sharknado” TV movie series, set to premiere in July. Conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter will be his vice president.

The network previously said Bo Derek will have a cameo as star Tara Reid’s mother, Jerry Springer will play a tourist and ‘N Sync singer Chris Kirkpatrick will be a pool lifeguard.

This year the toothy storm terrorizes Washington, D.C., before moving down to Florida.

Today, Converse announces the global launch of its “Made By You” campaign, celebrating fans of the iconic Chuck Taylor All-Star sneaker. Once a basketball legend, Chucks are now an everyday street style shoe that can be modified and molded for self-expression. With that in mind, the spring campaign inspired Converse to seek out personalized Chucks from around the globe—the equivalent of a self-sneaker portrait to everyone who rocks them. Per the brand, “portraits collected from the likes of international icons like Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Futura, Jefferson Hack, Sayo Yoshida, Kate Lanphear and Glenn O’Brien will be featured alongside portraits from every day Chuck Taylor All Star wearers.”

“Made By You” will feature activations in the streets and in-store, with exhibitions in NYC, London, Beijing, and Mexico City. Scroll through the photos above to get a sense of what the “Made By You” campaign is all about, and stay tuned to SLAMonline for more from Converse!

The Chicago Bulls announced today that an MRI of Jimmy Butler confirmed a Grade 2/3 ulnar ligament sprain and small bone impaction injury to the left elbow. It is estimated that Butler may be out three to six weeks.

On the year, Butler has appeared in 55 games (all starts) and averaged a team-high 20.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.73 spg (ninth in the NBA) and 0.58 bpg in 38.9 mpg (first in the NBA).

Over the weekend, our friends at Jordan Heads Brooklyn hosted a meet-and-greet with some of the key people behind our brand new JORDANS Vol. 2 issue (which you can buy online here) including SLAM Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne and Puneet Singh, aka Sole Supreme. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by the JHBK space on Malcom X Boulevard in BedStuy, what are you waiting for? We had a great time on Friday night, chatting with sneakerheads and discussing the new ish—scroll through the photos above to see some of the exclusives that were featured in the special edition mag, and more.

The legend of Malik Newman started before he ever played a game of high school basketball. Recruited by SEC programs during his middle school years, the Magnolia State was well aware of the prodigy that they had on their hands. The current SLAM diarist continued to build on his ever-growing legacy on Saturday afternoon, having his jersey number retired at Callaway while still in high school.

Three straight state titles and dropping an absurd 3,076 (and counting) will do that for a player. The electric 6-4 guard was honored alongside his father (former Mississippi State standout Horation Webster) before Callaway’s 108-86 win over Neshoba Central in the second round of the Mississippi 5A state tournament. Newman scored an easy 38 points via a barrage of NBA-range three-pointers off the bounce, deadly pull-ups, and explosive dunks in transition. He is one game closer to yet another potential state title and already has some touting him as the best player in Mississippi high school basketball history. Still undecided as to where his ultimate college destination will be, Newman recently cut his list to Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississipi State, and NC State.

A report by The Chronicle has begun to shine a little light on the circumstances surrounding former Blue Devils guard Rasheed Sulaimon’s dismissal from the program. According to the report, Sulaimon’s dismissal came after there were multiple sexual assault allegations against him based on incidents that reportedly occurred in 2013 and 2014. The report also says that these allegations were brought to Duke’s administration and athletic department—including, allegedly, coach Mike Krzyzewski—as early as March of 2014.

Rasheed Sulaimon’s dismissal from the Duke basketball program is clouded by allegations of sexual assault, which surfaced nearly a year before he was released from the team in January. Multiple sources close to the situation have confirmed that members of the athletic department were made aware of the allegations as early as March 2014.

The Duke men’s basketball department has not provided a detailed explanation of the dismissal, which was the first in head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 35 years at the helm of the program. Sulaimon, a junior, was dismissed from the Duke basketball team Jan. 29 after he “repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations,” Krzyzewski said in his official statement.

Sulaimon’s dismissal came not from a singular incident, but was the result of multiple actions detrimental to the program, Matt Plizga—the men’s basketball sports information director—told The Chronicle the day of the dismissal.

The Duke athletic administration declined to speak with The Chronicle after multiple attempts were made to discuss the allegations.

Today, Nike Basketball unveils its Elite Series Team Collection, featuring the KD7, Kobe X and LeBron 12. In fact, each player silhouette will get three separate editions, in each of three collections. First, on April 18, the Nike Elite Series Team Collection drops with team colorways for Bryant, Durant and James. On May 15 comes the Nike Elite Series Elevate Collection, which will feature blue sky-inspired colorways for all three kicks. Then on June 5, the Nike Elite Series Rose Gold Collection drops with inspiration from the road to the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

More details on the tech specs of the Elite series, straight from the Swoosh:

Nike Kobe X

The KOBE X Elite features a Nike Flyknit upper construction with dynamic Flywire technology for superior strength, breathability and support. The shoe is the first Flyknit basketball shoe constructed with recycled polyester yarn – each pair is knit with the equivalent of five recycled plastic bottles. Designer Eric Avar used a high-cut silhouette for proprioception.

The KOBE X Elite’s dynamic traction, hybrid cushioning system (Lunarlon, Nike Zoom Air and Nike Free-inspired siping combined) and modern aesthetic result in a new standard for performance footwear.

Nike KD7

The KD7 Elite is designed to enhance natural motion and responsiveness without compromising strength. Hyperposite upper construction is now perforated to minimize weight and deliver zoned breathability.

The shoe’s three primary features include Hyperposite upper construction, dynamic Flywire technology and Nike Zoom Air cushioning. Designer Leo Chang built the shoe to be light and tight, optimized for performance in a clean aesthetic.

Nike LeBron 12

The LEBRON 12 Elite embodies pinnacle performance and indisputable strength, much like James himself. The LEBRON 12 Elite leverages high-quality Megafuse construction with mesh and composite for structure and features new vertical wings wrapping the foot for lockdown and stability.

The shoe now features six visible, independent Nike Zoom Air units that provide low profile, responsive cushioning. The strategic placement of the pods is engineered for James’s explosiveness and his multidirectional movement.

As for the Rockets’ title chances this season, Alexander says that depends largely on Dwight Howard’s health.

Per the Houston Chronicle:

To Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, guard James Harden is out in front in the race for MVP to the point he said that should be the opinion of those without a connection to the franchise.

“He’s the best player in basketball,” Alexander said. “He’s having the best year of anybody, no question.”

Alexander said the Rockets could have a long playoff run, depending on Dwight Howard’s comeback from his knee edema. Howard is expected to have an MRI on the knee this week, but Alexander said Howard’s progress in workouts will reveal more about his condition and timetable to return. […] Howard has been running on a weight-controlled treadmill, along with his usual swimming and weight lifting training.

“He’s clearly the defensive player of the year,” Rivers said Sunday. “If anybody else gets that award, we need to have an investigation. … What he’s doing defensively, if he was doing that offensively, he would be recognized as the MVP or one of them, but because it’s defense, no one notices.”

Jordan started his 300th consecutive game on Sunday, the longest active streak in the NBA, but it wasn’t until Blake Griffin was sidelined with a staph infection in his right elbow three weeks ago that Jordan received the attention Rivers felt was long overdue for the Clippers’ 26-year-old center. […] “He gets every rebound,” Rivers said. “And when he doesn’t get it, it takes two guys to keep him off and allows the other guys to get rebounds. He’s clearly very important for us.”

Jordan currently leads the NBA in field goal percentage (72.0) and rebounds per game (14.2) and ranks third in blocks per game (2.3). His field goal percentage is the second-highest single-season mark in NBA history, and only six players since 1985-86 have averaged at least 14.2 rebounds for a full season. In the Clippers’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, Jordan recorded 15 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in 41 minutes to become one of only three players (Dwight Howard and David Robinson) since 1985-86 to reach those totals in as few minutes played. […] “I would definitely be excited about that,” Jordan said of winning the award. “It’s definitely an individual goal of mine, but the ultimate goal is to win a championship. I’ll just let my play do the talking.”

The fact that his future is cloudy and the NBA is a business isn’t lost on the former Michigan State standout. He is cherishing these times and these victories.

“I’ve said it multiple times this year, we know how good we are,” Green said. “We’re having so much fun. It’s a fun group to be around. It’s easy to capitalize on this, when you enjoy being around the people you’re around every day. This is a special group, a special bond, so let’s make the best of it, because this team will probably never be together again.

“That’s just the nature of this business. One addition, one subtraction, and the team isn’t together no more. So take advantage of it while you’ve got it because I’m sure this team will never be together again. It’s a fun time. One of the funnest times of my life. Live in the moment.”

… USA Today reported early Monday that McGee was able to secure his release from the Sixers without surrendering any of next season’s $12 million salary or what’s left of this season’s $11.25 million.

The Sixers took on the substantial remaining money on McGee’s contract from the Denver Nuggets on trade-deadline day in a deal that also netted them a future first-round pick. McGee has played sparingly since joining Philadelphia and realistically had no future there, given the presence of young center Nerlens Noel and two highly rated frontcourt lottery picks, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, who have yet to play for Philadelphia.

“I don’t want to get bought out,” McGee told local reporters shortly after the trade. “That’s not a positive thing. When you think about it, you don’t get all of your money when you get bought out. […] So it doesn’t make sense why someone would want to get bought out unless they are older — older and they want to go to a contender or something. I’m not that old. I just want to play basketball.”

In addition to Jordan, two other NBA team owners are now also considered first-time billionaires.

Nearly 25% of this year’s first-time billionaires hail from China, which produced a world-leading 71 newcomers. The United States came in second, with 57, followed by India, with 28, and Germany, with 23.

The most famous rookie on the billionaires list? Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and indisputably the best-paid athlete of all time. Most of his cash comes from Nike payouts on his iconic brand. The Jordan brand grossed an estimated $2.25 billion in 2013, earning his Airness some $90 million. But his most valuable asset is his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, worth more than $500 million.

When ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a stunning $2 billion, values of all NBA teams skyrocketed, creating three new billionaires. Jordan’s old boss Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls, joined the list with a fortune of $1.3 billion, and Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander boosted his net worth to $1.6 billion.

Harden was whistled for a Flagrant One foul, and brushed it off as merely a “reaction”.

Per the NEOMG:

“Obviously that’s not a basketball play,” James said. “Obviously the league will probably take a look at it. I have no idea why he would do that, but you know, just two competitors trying to go at it and he won this one.”

Harden called his kick “a reaction.” […] “They called a flagrant,” Harden said. “The next play we moved on.”

The third quarter was chippy in its entirety. James tangled with Houston’s Patrick Beverley (double technicals were assessed) and the Rockets’ Trevor Ariza was also whistled for a technical. […] “I don’t know if it was a physical game, but it was very chippy,” Cleveland’s Kevin Love said. “A couple of plays there kind of got out of hand, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

March got off to a raucous start with some exciting NBA action last night. You had a superstar matchup going down in Houston with “King James”—in his signature Nike LeBron 12—squaring off against “The Beard” and his Nike Zoom Run the One. Los Angeles featured a game without any true stars as both the Thunder and Lakers’ marquee players missed the game due to injury. To see what rest of your favorite NBA players wore to kick off the new month, make sure you peep our full gallery up top.

This was not the most entertaining matinee of all-time. Neither team looked particularly sharp, but a strong fourth quarter by LA closed out a win.

Chris Paul was great, tallying 28 points, 12 dimes and just one turnover. DeAndre Jordan snatched 26 boards, and is now averaging better than 14 per game on the season.

Chicago got 29 from Nicola Mirotic, who might have a case for Rookie of the Year if not for Andrew Wiggins’ incredible season. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol (2/13) struggled badly and Jimmy Butler exited early with an elbow injury and didn’t return.

Rockets (41-18) 105, Cavs (37-24) 103

On the other hand… fantastic game. LeBron and James Harden went back and forth for much of the day, though James (15/35) was never able to shift into second gear offensively. He had a chance to give Cleveland the lead in the closing seconds of OT, but uncharacteristically missed a pair of free throws.

Harden hit 8/18 shots and 15/18 free throws for 33 points to go with 8 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. It’s tough to argue against him for MVP right now (though if Golden State can maintain separation atop the West, I like Curry). Terrence Jones dropped 19 and 7 in the win and has been tearing it up since the All-Star break.

LeBron managed 37 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in the loss. He shot just 3/11 from the stripe, so basically 37 points and a bunch of other stuff is the worst LeBron can do when he decides to be aggressive. Kevin Love added 21, while Kyrie Irving sat with a shoulder injury.

Rudy Gay led Sacramento with 24, and, far more amazingly, Andre Miller logged 26 minutes and recorded a double-double: 12 points and 10 dimes. He might get serious run under George Karl with Darren Collison likely out for the rest of the season.

Warriors (46-11) 106, Celtics (23-34) 101

The Celtics jumped way ahead last night—56-30 in the mid-second—before crashing back down to earth. Golden State caught fire in the second half and pulled out a crazy comeback W.

Steph Curry led the way with 37 on 14/22 shooting. Klay Thompson struggled from deep (2/10), but still finished with 20. Draymond Green’s Free Agent Season rolled on with 14, 11 and 3 rejections.

Each Boston starter scored double-figures, but it was Isaiah Thomas who led the team in scoring with 20. His partner off the bench, Jae Crowder, grabbed 17 boards in the funky loss.

Pacers (25-34) 94, Sixers (13-46) 74

Last night the Sixers made Indiana look like the 2014 Finals Spurs.

George Hill led all scorers with 17.

Philadelphia scored ten points in the fourth quarter.

Thunder (33-27) 108, Lakers (16-42) 101

The Lakers typically play relatively well on Sunday nights, and last night was no exception. They hung around with the KD/Westbrook-less Thunder for a while, but ran out of gas late.

OKC’s newcomers (plus Serge Ibaka) were in charge for a day, and stepped up nicely. DJ Augustin and Ibaka (14 boards) each scored a team-high 18, while Enes Kanter added 16 and 15. He’s been a monster since coming over from Utah.

Jeremy Lin led the Lakers with 20 points off the bench, and Jordan Hill posted 14 and 12.

Hornets (24-33) 98, Magic (19-42) 83

Orlando pulled within four with under ten minutes left last night before getting boxed out by the Hornets.

Mo Williams played a huge 38 minutes, dropping in 23 points with 11 dimes. He’s been the perfect replacement for Kemba Walker so far, and a sweet low-key pickup. Al Jefferson added 16 and 10.

Victor Oladipo was great in his 38 minutes, scoring 21 points on 7/14 shooting in the loss.

Pelicans (31-27) 99, Nuggets (20-38) 92

The Pelicans needed big games from Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon with Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday all on the shelf, and the wings delivered. Tyreke went for 22, 7 and 7 while getting to the stripe 11 times, and Gordon poured in 18. Omer Asik added a very Asikian 16 boards while hitting 3/5 shots from the floor.

He missed two free throws with four seconds left in overtime and the Cavs down by one, capping a 3-for-11 day from the line. That, coincidentally, matched his 3-for-11 shooting finish to the night during the fourth quarter and overtime, too. […] “I tripped the game up at the free-throw line,” James said. “Guys put us in position to win the game and I didn’t come through for them. It won’t happen again.”

James scored 37 points and James Harden had 33 points for the Rockets, although his karate kick to James’ groin in the third quarter angered the Cavs and illustrated how tense the game became. […] James tied up Harden, who had possession of the ball and fell to the ground. While he was on his side, Harden brought his foot back and kicked James right between the legs.

Officials handed out five technical fouls, all in the second half, plus Harden’s flagrant. […] James was given a technical for an extra shove of Patrick Beverley while both players were on the ground, while Houston’s Trevor Ariza was given a technical for shouting at Timofey Mozgov.

The Bulls fell at home to the Clippers, 96-86 on Sunday afternoon. But even worse, they may have lost Jimmy Butler, too. Butler left the game and did not return after hyperextending his left elbow. He’ sscheduled for an MRI on Monday to find out more about the injury. From ESPN Chicago:

Jimmy Butler left Sunday’s 96-86 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after hyperextending his left elbow. He did not return to the game and is scheduled to have an MRI on Monday.

The Butler setback is the latest for a Chicago Bulls squad that has been bitten hard by the injury bug in recent days. Taj Gibson missed Sunday’s game after spraining his left ankle in Friday night’s win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gibson left the United Center on Sunday wearing a walking boot and has already missed time this season because of the same injury.

Derrick Rose is expected to be out for four to six weeks after having a meniscectomy on his right knee on Friday. Rose appears to be in good spirits after starting his rehab on Saturday and was at the United Center early as his rehab process continues.

The Detroit Pistons endured their share of indignities through the first quarter of the NBA season, whether it was Josh Smith’s shot selection, losing 13 straight games, or the jerseys they had to wear against Oklahoma City on December 7. And Lord only knows what sort of speeches Stan Van Gundy was giving, day in and day out. They couldn’t have been pleasant.

And maybe that was one thing too many. Whatever it was, something caused Andre Drummond to snap. Sure, Russell Westbrook had dunked on Smith earlier in the game, prompting the need for vengeance, but Drummond probably would have liked to dunk on Smith himself.

So when Drummond caught the ball and spun inside on Reggie Jackson, with only Serge Ibaka between him and the basket, he didn’t hesitate one second. He took one dribble and dunked, with the frustration only someone averaging 11 ppg and 12 rpg for a team going nowhere could know. And for a moment at least, everything was OK.

Lance Stephenson is from Brooklyn. And if his “Born Ready” nickname is a bit of an exaggeration, it’s not much of one. Then again, that name implies a bit of passivity that’s never, ever been in Stephenson’s game. After Lincoln HS, he left Cincinnati after one year, was a Pacers second-round pick and played spot minutes off the bench his first two seasons. His third, he started 72 games.

Last year was his true breakout, and afterward he broke out, signing a three-year, $27 million deal with Charlotte. As it turned out, what with Paul George’s season-ending-before-it-began injury, not a bad move. He joined the reborn Hornets to provide not only more toughness but a bit of that Brooklyn attitude. Case in point: third quarter of the home opener. Long rebound to Al Jefferson, who hands it to Lance at the top of the key. Before Larry Sanders and all-arms Giannis Antetokounmpo could even get set in the paint, there he is, dunking on everyone and bringing the entire crowd—a certain team owner among them—to their feet.

Born Ready? Maybe not quite. But he’s sure as hell ready now. For anything.

Julius Randle wasn’t even 2 years old yet when the Lakers made a Draft-day trade for a high schooler named Kobe Bryant. He was 5 when Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal won their first title in Los Angeles. And in the next 14 years, as he grew from little kid to Lottery lock, much in the NBA changed. Kobe though, he didn’t.

Randle watched older generations retire and newer ones supplant them. He was 8 when LeBron James went first overall to the Cavs, 12 when the Seattle SuperSonics got Kevin Durant. This was how things went. Kerry Kittles retired, Stephon Marbury went to China, Allen Iverson finally retired.

But Kobe just kept going, eventually joined by fellow Class of ’96 member Steve Nash. Dwight Howard got pushed out of town. It didn’t seem like the old timers wanted to make room for the next generation. But there was Randle on the board at No. 7, and the Lakers were on the clock, and that was that. So in his first pre-season game, Julius had a decision to make. Would he step aside as so many Lakers had done before, or would he step up? It was really no choice at all.

For 48 years, two months and two weeks, Anthony George Douglass Mason lived the New York City life that I dreamed of living: He played for the Knicks, appeared in a Woody Allen movie, is a lyric to a Beastie Boys song and owned an Italian restaurant in Harlem.

Mason and I both came to the Knicks in 1991—him as a power forward, me as a season ticket holder. Early into his five years with his hometown team, he was given the nickname “The Locksmith.” Utilizing his larger-than-average brawn and uniquely clever brain, with a heavy sprinkling of street smarts from his borough of Queens, he helped his teammates get into their lockers if they misplaced their keys or forgot their combinations. “The Locksmith” t-shirts with Anthony’s face were briefly sold at Madison Square Garden.

Basketball, more so than most sports, is about people and personality. The players are big and the relationship with the fans is intimate. Spectators literally sit on the field of play, the uniform is a mere tank top and shorts and the players can hear and often respond to what is said to them. The game is a fast, in situ flow of bruises and beauty. In a sport archived through images, Anthony Mason leaves behind a grand visual resume.

Curated in my Mason montage is Charles Barkley jumping over the scorer’s table on MLK day 1993 to chase down referee Jim Clark claiming he was fouled by Mase. Mason responded in his post-game remarks: “If he was fouled by me, he would not have been able to jump over the scorer’s table.”

Another picture of Mase is from the Spring of ’94 as he walked through Madison Square Garden high fiving his New York brethren, including myself during the Rangers second round series close out game against the Capitals. His crisp white Rangers sweater was more noticeable than Messier that night.

Then there is the night club scene in Woody Allen’s film Celebrity, featuring a young supermodel with the sniffles played by Charlize Theron. Appearing on the screen is Mason to offer her Echinacea as he tells her “it helps in fighting colds and infections.”

Like a locksmith, his game was both force and finesse. If you were not aware of this, he literally spelled it out for you on the side of his head, carving out words and images with each new haircut. In addition to his wonderfully colorful style, Mason could play. He had an incredible handle and amazing court vision, providing playground passes and a consistent and compact lefty mini hook from just about anywhere eight feet from the rim. In fact, he was the only player I knew of who could dribble up the court without the fear of turning the ball over and then head down to the other end and drop back in the paint to contain Hakeem Olajuwon.

One can debate who the more skilled Knicks players to wear the uniform have been, but there is no question that, on the court, no one worked harder than Anthony Mason. And no one worked more—he holds the Knick’s record for minutes played in a season at 3,457 (averaging 44 mpg while playing all 82 in 1996). As such, I, we—NYC—embraced him because we could relate to him. New York is a city that values truth, strength and even some vulnerability. Anthony Mason was real and we recognized his real. This is why he resonates deep in mine and the collective hearts of the Knicks fan base.

When I graduated from NYU, I clownishly wrote down the name Anthony Mason on the card for the announcer to read as I walked across the stage at Carnegie Hall. He wasn’t me, and I didn’t want to be him, but he was us—a tough and determined New Yorker and I hoped to infuse some of that as I nervously embarked on what is currently an 18-year career as a public high school English teacher in New York.

July 14, 1996 was the day Mason was traded for Larry Johnson. Over the next few years I held on to my Knicks tickets but made sure to wear Mason’s Charlotte No. 14, then his Heat No. 14 and finally a Milwaukee No. 17 jersey when he returned to the Garden with those teams.

I have a good memory for most things, and particularly Anthony Mason and the Knicks. But this past December 14, I texted SLAM Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne to say “Happy 50th Anthony Mason.” Ben quickly corrected me that Mase was only 48. I have a good memory but also have dyslexia and sometimes mess up numbers. Ben understood my sentiment and generously promised that when Anthony turned 50 in two years, he would provide me the space in the magazine to write a piece about a man who widened the aperture of the game of basketball and inspired me to celebrate truth. With Anthony Mason’s passing, I now plan to honor his legacy at that time and during these days of sadness; this gives me something to look forward to.

Knicks fans haven’t had much to cheer about this season, with Melo sitting out and a whole lot of tanking going on. But one lucky fan at least has $10,000 to show for it. Dude stepped up to the line and drilled a halfcourt shot during a break in third-quarter action of a win over the Raptors on Saturday. Someone get this man a 10-day contract!

If you’re a Wolves fan and you’re excited about Kevin Garnett‘s return to Minnesota, KG just wants to say Thank You—and give you some free tickets, too. Garnett purchased 1,000 tickets to Minnesota’s home game Monday night against the Clippers. The tickets will be available via the team’s website starting Monday morning: First come, first serve. KG says he’s just thanking the loyal fans.

The Suns scored a franchise-worst 24 points in the first half last night, en route to a 101-74 blowout loss to the Spurs in Phoenix. After the game, Suns forward Markieff Morris (19 points) voiced his discontent with what he perceives as a lack of fan support in the team’s home arena. “They don’t boo but they don’t cheer much, either,” he said, among other things.

After the game, Markieff Morris was critical of what he perceived to be a lack of consistent fan support in Phoenix — and not just on this night.

“They don’t boo but they don’t cheer much, either,” he said. “I know we’re a lot better than that. I know Phoenix fans are a lot better than that. We have a lot of genuine fans that cheer for us, the ones that’s in the first row, the second row, the third row. But once you go up you feel like people are just at the game watching.

“I just think we expect more from the fans,” he continued. “That’s basically what I’m getting to. We expect more. We expect this to be a home-court advantage every time we step on the court no matter if we’re playing Orlando or we’re playing Cleveland.”

DeMar DeRozan added insult to injury last night when in the first quarter of the Raptors’ fifth straight loss—to the Knicks, by the way—he went for a highlight 360 dunk on a wide-open fast break. He got stuffed by the rim, then couldn’t recover in time to save a layup. Not your finest moment, DeMar!

You didn’t think Andrew Wiggins would let fellow rookie teammate Zach LaVine be the only one with a giant dunk on Saturday night, did you? Wiggy got his in crunch time with under 30 seconds to play in the Wolves’ close loss to Memphis at home. Check it out above.

Michael Beasley is back in Miami, having just signed a 10-day contract with the Heat. And he’s already making an impact—at least on the highlight film. B-Easy put Hawks big man Mike Muscala on a poster on Saturday night in Miami’s 93-91 loss to Atlanta. It was the best of Beasley’s 9-point contribution off the bench.

2015 Dunk Champion Zach LaVine continues to hammer home insane dunks during his rookie season with Minnesota. The latest was last night—a breakaway tomahawk against the Grizzlies in a 101-97 loss at the Target Center. Look out below!

The Wizards found a way to break their six-game losing streak even though they almost let a huge second-half lead get away from them. With Paul Pierce (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Bradley Beal (8 points, 6 rebounds) back in the starting lineup and Marcin Gortat (16 points, 17 rebounds) more than holding his own against Detroit’s sturdy frontline, the Wiz held a 69-48 lead with 8:58 to go in the third quarter. However, Spencer Dinwiddle (20 points, 8 assists) came out of nowhere to make this game a tight one. The former Colorado Buffalo scored 16 of his 20 points in the final 14 minutes of the game. He showed an ability to get into the lane, pull up from midrange and knock down the long ball. After Dinwiddie slammed home his own missed shot at the 6:48 mark in the final quarter, the Pistons actually took the lead 85-84. However, Gortat would nail two free throws a few minutes later and give the Wizards the lead for good. With consecutive losses by the Bucks, the Wiz remain in the five slot in the East.

Hawks 93 (47-12), Heat 91 (25-33)

The Hawks have gotten back to their streaking ways as they have now strung together four straight wins. Saturday night, they did so with three of their starters getting the night off. That wasn’t a problem for Paul Millsap (22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), who scored 10 points in the final 10 minutes when Atlanta took over. This game wasn’t as close down the stretch as it looks as the Hawks led 91-83 with 29.7 seconds left in the game. a couple 3-point shots in Miami’s final two possessions made the final deficit look much better. Dennis Schroder (16 points, 10 assists, 2 steals) has backed up Jeff Teague fantastically, fitting seamlessly into both the first and second unit. He filled in nicely with Teague resting, earning himself a double-double. For the Heat, they controlled the glass (47-37) thanks to another monster double-double from Hassan Whiteside (14 points, 24 rebounds, 2 blocks). It is crazy to think about what this kid has done in the little time he’s been getting quality minutes in the NBA. And now that he’s keeping his fouls down, he’s getting minutes and producing. With Goran Dragic (6 points, 6 assists) not having one of his better nights, Mario Chalmers (16 points, 5 steals) stepped up off the bench. And Chalmers almost helped spearhead a fourth-quarter comeback if it wasn’t for Millsap taking advantage of the Heat’s undersized forwards towards the end of the game.

Knicks 103 (12-46), Raptors 98 (37-22)

Right as the Wizards find a way to get out of their slump Saturday night, the Raptors’ five-game losing streak hit a new low against the lowly New York Knicks. Tim Hardaway Jr. (22 points, 7 rebounds) scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes to help the Knicks build a 22-15 lead and Langston Galloway (6 points, 8 rebounds) connected on another clutch trey for the second night in a row. After making a 3-pointer to send last night’s double-overtime win into the first overtime, Galloway buries a trey with 13 seconds remaining to turn a two-point lead into a two-possession game. The Raptors had plenty of balance offensively with six guys in double figures, led by sixth man Lou Williams (22 points). However, without Lowry—who got the night off—Toronto’s offense hit a standstill late in this game. Greivis Vasquez (14 points, 6 assists) made a 3-pointer with 4:46 to go in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 96-87. During the next three minutes, the Knicks only managed to get one free throw from suddenly revitalized big man Lou Amundson (9 points, 3 blocks). The Raptors, though, missed their opportunity to really cut into this deficit and only managed to one more Vasquez 3-pointer. All the qualities that made Toronto so dangerous when the final quarter arrives in games seem to be slipping away, as does their spot in the two seed. They are now tied with the Bulls with the Cavs only half a game behind them.

Grizzlies 101 (42-16), Timberwolves 97 (13-45)

The Timberwolves struck early, but the Grizzles handed out the final blow as they got back on track after Friday’s blowout loss to the Clippers. With Andrew Wiggins (25 points, 4 rebounds) scoring eight of his team-high 25 points in the first quarter, Minnesota held a 24-18 lead going into the second quarter. In his second game with the team, Kevin Garnett (6 points, 3 steals) bothered Marc Gasol (27 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) during his time on the court. He may be limited in his abilities at this point in his career, but KG can certainly still guard. And he seems to be finding a bit of a groove with Ricky Rubio (13 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds) so far. However, his game was cut short after he pounded the ball onto the court in the third quarter and picked up his second technical foul in the process. After Garnett left the game with 7:34 left in the third, Gasol turned his game around. The Spaniard center went on to pour in 14 points in the final 17 minutes and really take it to the now undersized and inexperienced frontcourt. Gary Neal (16 points, 3-5 on 3-pointers) and Kevin Martin (13 points, 3-8 on 3-pointers) making three after three kept Minnesota in this game before Mike Conley (17 points, 4 assists) sealed the win with a 3-pointer (from Gasol) of his own and two made free throws.

Nets 104 (24-33), Mavs 94 (39-22)

Monta Ellis (12 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) and Dirk Nowitzki (20 points, 6 rebounds) may be the Mavs’ two best players on most nights; however, Tyson Chandler might just be the most valuable piece to this struggling Dallas team. With Chandler missing Saturday’s game, the Mavs lacked an interior presence and had player grab more than seven rebounds. The Nets had three players with at least eight rebounds, led by Mason Plumlee (14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Thaddeus Young (16 points, 8 rebounds), who has been very productive off the bench since being traded. Offensively, Brooklyn was led by Dallas-native Deron Williams (25 points, 6 rebounds, 4-6 on 3-pointers), who picked this Nets franchise over signing with the Mavs. The current Dallas point guard in Rajon Rondo (8 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 turnovers, 4-10 from the field, team-worst -22) continued to struggle on the offensive end of the court. Rondo had a missed layup, a missed jumper and no assists in the game’s final six minutes. Even though it should be expected for it to take time for an elite point guard to be implemented into an entirely new system for the first time in his career, the adjective “elite” is starting to look more and more like an illusion. The Mavs have now been held below 100 points for the fourth straight game—a first this season—and have fallen behind the Clippers in the standings and are currently sixth.

Spurs 101 (36-23), Suns 74 (31-29)

Even though this was the second night of a back-to-back for the Spurs and the Suns came in on a day’s rest, this one wasn’t a contest from the tipoff to the final buzzer. After scoring the first eight points of the game, San Antonio continued to pile it on by building a 24-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. It only got worse from their as the lead swelled to 75-41 by the end of the third quarter. Garbage minutes actually made this game look a little better for the Suns, who are quickly finding themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in. With Kawhi Leonard (22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) leading the way, everything seemed to click for the balance Spurs, who outrebounded the undersized Suns 56-42. Leonard, Tim Duncan (6 points, 10 rebounds) and Aron Baynes (12 points, 10 rebounds) all reached double-digit boards on the night. Other than Marcus Morris’ (19 points, 7 rebounds) decent fourth quarter, there wasn’t much for Phoenix to be proud of. They couldn’t control the interior, push the pace or establish any sort of ball movement (13 assists). This might be another finish as the ninth or tenth seed for the Suns—something that has happened three times the past four seasons for this franchise.

Jazz 82 (23-35), Bucks 75 (32-27)

Since the departure of Enes Kanter and the emergence of Rudy Gobert (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals), the Jazz have suddenly become a defensive force against high-powered offenses. Since the All-Star break, Utah has allowed only one team to score more than 82 points in five games—the other four teams ended up losing the the Jazz. Saturday night, Trey Burke (23 points, 6 assists, 5-10 on 3-pointers) seemed to make a play every time the Jazz needed one. Whether it was a deep three, nifty layup or alley-oop pass, Burke was putting on a show in the second half. And most promising of all, he only turned the ball over one time in 35 minutes. In the frontcourt, Derrick Favors (16 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) and Gobert continue to mesh wonderfully and look like legitimate building blocks for the future. For the Bucks, they simply couldn’t make enough shots or take care of the ball. They shot 39.2 percent from the field and coughed the ball up 23 times. They were able to keep it close because the Jazz were practically just as bad, shooting 38.2 percent and turning it over 22 times. Guards Michael Carter-Williams (16 points, 4 steals) and Khris Middleton (18 points, 6 rebounds) led Milwaukee in scoring but each had only three assists to go along with their three turnovers. This low 1-to-1 ratio isn’t going to cut. And with the way the season has suddenly turned since Brandon Knight was shipped away at the deadline, management can’t be pleased. Before the All-Star break, the Bucks had won eight of their last nine, held a 30-23 record and seemed to be on the rise in the East. Now? They have gone 2-4 and are averaging only 86.3 ppg. The Jazz, on the other hand, have won four of their last five—and three of those came against playoff teams in the Blazers, Spurs and Bucks.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Pump technology, Reebok is infusing The Pump with some of its popular silhouettes. First, the Questions got the Pump treatment. Now, Reebok is fusing the Kamikaze II with the classic Pump Twilight Zone.

The Reebok Pump Kamikaze II drops at Finish Line on March 13 for $125.

Kobe Bryant’s game, before the achilles injury was aging well like wine. The Nike Kobe X ‘Vino’, named after the Italian word for wine, gets its color tone from green grapes used for white wine. But that’s only part of the story. The Kobe X Vino will be featured in the first-ever mobile experience on nike.com, that showcases an interactive model of the shoe, haptic vibrations, animations and audio direct from Bryant.

The Kobe X Vino will be available globally at nike.com and select retail locations on March 7.

Russell Westbrook put up yet another massive triple-double of 40 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, but the Thunder couldn’t put away the Blazers and fell 115-112 on Friday. Westbrook become the first player to record three straight triple-doubles since LeBron James in 2009.

Mason, who was a key member of the mid-’90s Knicks teams, suffered a heart attack earlier this month. Per the New York Daily News:

Anthony Mason, a bruising power forward who personified the gritty Knicks of the mid-’90s, died early Saturday morning. He was 48. Mason had suffered a massive heart attack earlier in the month.

Mason played 13 seasons in the NBA with six teams but is best remembered for his days with the Knicks. After playing abroad and in both the CBA and USBL, Mason had brief stints with the Nets and Denver before being signed by Pat Riley, who admired his rugged style and his playmaking ability. Along with Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley, he helped give the Knicks of the early ’90s one of the most physically imposing front lines in NBA history.

“My heart is heavy after learning we lost Anthony Mason last night,” Ewing said. “We were teammates on the Knicks for five great seasons.

“Mase came to play every night and was always ready to go to battle with me every time we stepped on the court together. I will remember him for his strength, determination and perseverance. My thoughts are with is family. May he rest in peace.”

Even though three Cavaliers players finished with double-doubles, George Hill (15 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) notched his first career triple-double and took over down the stretch to put Indiana into the eighth seed and the Nets out of the playoffs. In the final quarter, Hill knocked down five total free throws that each time extended Indiana’s lead right as the Cavs were making a push. The Pacers point guard got plenty of help from his teammates as Rodney Stuckey (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) was a huge spark off the bench. The Cavs, who were without Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, only managed to shoot 35.9 percent from the field—their second lowest percentage of the season. J.R. Smith (21 points, 4 assists), Kevin Love (17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals), Iman Shumpert (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Matthew Dellavedova (14 points, 10 rebounds) all reached double figures but all shot below 50 percent from the field. With Paul George’s return right around the corner and his team building momentum into the eighth seed, things are looking up for last season’s top seed in the East. (Could there be another Pacers-Hawks first round matchup?)

76ers 89 (13-45), Wizards 81 (33-26)

The Wizards season continues to spiral out of control with another loss, this time to the scrappy 76ers, who won their first game since the departure of Michael Carter-Williams. Nerlens Noel (14 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals) had one of his best overall games of the season and did a exceptional job leading his team down the stretch. He exemplifies the scrappiness and grittiness Philadelphia has started to established as the season has moved along. Robert Covington (13 points, 6 rebounds) continued to be a consistent force on the offensive end while Jason Richardson (12 points, 5 assists) still some bounce to his step. Philly started the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run and led the rest of the way. Nothing has seemed to go right for the Beal-less Wizards of late, as they have lost six in a row and 11 of their last 13. John Wall (21 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds) put up decent numbers but has missed 20 of his last 23 3-point attempts. Otto Porter (19 points) filled in well for Paul Pierce but struggled to find his shot. And as a team, Washington only managed to shoot 32.3 percent from the field and 4-17 (23.5 percent) from deep. The Wizards are still fifth in the East only because the Lakers took down Milwaukee Friday night. Don’t be surprised if the Bucks pass the Wiz soon enough.

Hawks 95 (46-12), Magic 88 (19-41)

The Hawks used strong play coming out of the locker room to inch closer to their 50th win of the season. Atlanta started out the game on a 19-3 run and used a 10-2 run early in the third quarter to create space against the Magic. Even though he may be the one starter that wasn’t an All-Star, DeMarre Carroll (15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) has matured and evolved this season, truly becoming the epitome of a glue guy. Whatever type of hustle play his team needs on either side of the court, the former Mizzou Tiger will sacrifice his body to get the job done. While Carroll scrapped for his statistics, Paul Millsap (20 points) led the team in scoring and Al Horford (17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 steals) earned another double-double. Horford, though, couldn’t keep Nikola Vucevic (21 points, 15 rebounds) from having another 20-15 night. If he ever finds a way to get on a decent team and put up the kind of numbers he does with Orlando, he will certainly be an All-Star. The Hawks used the long ball time and time again to extend the lead, shooting 14-31 (45.2 percent) on treys.

Celtics 106 (23-33), Hornets 98 (23-33)

After Marvin Williams (6 points, 3 rebounds) made a layup with 3:27 left in the third quarter, the Hornets led by a commanding margin, 73-57. Mo Williams (31 points, 7 rebounds, 6-13 on 3-pointers) was hitting everything from deep and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (12 points, 11 rebounds) had established himself on the boards early and often. However, the Celtics second unit then took this game over. Newcomers Isaiah Thomas (season-high 28 points, 7 assists) and Jonas Jerebko (16 points, 10 rebounds), along with relative newcomer Jae Crowder (14 points, 6 rebounds) all led the way in the game’s final 15 minutes when Boston went on a 49-25 blitz. These three combined to score 40 of these 49 points, really showing promise for what this team could be with time. All five Hornets starters reached double-digits, but the bench really struggled to give them anything offensively. Don’t look now but there are currently five teams (Pacers, Nets, Hornets, Celtics, Pistons) that all have legitimate chances to make the playoffs.

Knicks 121 (11-46), Pistons 115 (23-35) 2OT

Since the Pistons traded away Josh Smith, they have turned into a team with a legitimate chance to sneak into the playoffs. However, they aren’t going to grab the eighth seed by blowing an 18-point lead and losing in double-overtime to the lowly Knicks. Andrea Bargnani (25 points, 12 rebounds) has suddenly come to live since Carmelo Anthony decided to shut it down for the season. Shane Larkin (16 points, 3 assists), though, came through with a huge play for New York that sealed the win. After Anthony Tolliver (6 points, 5 rebounds) drilled a 3-pointer with 1:17 to go in the second overtime, the Knicks only led 112-111. Larkin then went on to convert a three-point play to extend the lead to two possessions and made 4-4 free throws in the final 22 seconds to give the Knicks their 11th win of the season. The Pistons frontline still looks so much stronger without J-Smoove getting in the way. Andre Drummond (21 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks) and Greg Monroe (28 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks) both had monster double-doubles. However, Bargnani’s ability to stretch the floor bothered these two big men as the game moved along. Detroit also missed Drummond’s interior presence when he fouled out less than a minute into the second overtime.

Warriors 113 (45-11), Raptors 89 (37-21)

The Warriors may have been tripped up by the Cavs in their Thursday night loss, but they got right back on track Friday and reminded the nation they are still the team to beat in the West. Klay Thompson (25 points, 5-8 on 3-pointers) and Stephen Curry (22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) fired away in helping the Warriors torch the Raptors and make a joke out of Toronto’s backcourt. Draymond Green (27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) also contributed in a big way, shutting down all of the Raptors’ struggling wingmen. Kyle Lowry (4 points, 1-7 from the field) had been vocal about his struggles on the court. Well, they continued and DeMar DeRozan (14 points, 4-16 from the field) wasn’t much better. Without these two Raptors clicking, Toronto never had a chance in their wire-to-wire loss and trailed 94-53 towards the end of the third quarter. This team lacks any sort of presence at the small forward position, which puts a huge burden on Lowry and DeRozan. And with Terrence Ross (18 points) being one of the most inconsistent players in the League, the foundation for the East’s two seed seems to be as shaky as ever. For the Warriors, they better be ready to bring this type of explosion if they get matched up with the Thunder in the playoffs.

Bulls 96 (37-22), Timberwolves 89 (13-44)

As the Bulls have seemingly been doing for the past three seasons, they picked up a close win despite multiple players out due to injury. Without Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol or Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler (28 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) showed why he is an All-Star and potential building block for this Chicago franchise. He has become one of the best two-way players in the NBA and has established a consistent shot he never showed prior to this season. Butler played well with crafty veteran Joakim Noah (11 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) who has started to get in a groove since Gasol became ill. These two had crucial back-to-back buckets in the final few minutes of the game. They had room to operate due to Mike Dunleavy’s (21 points, 8 rebounds, 5-8 on 3-pointers) hot shooting from deep. When Dunleavy or Mirotic (8 points) can find their touch on any given night, it really helps Butler create and Noah work from the elbows. With Garnett resting, Kevin Martin (18 points, 5 rebounds), Ricky Rubio (15 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds) and Andrew Wiggins (14 points, 4 rebounds) led the team in scoring. Their downfall came from behind the arc, as Minnesota shot 2-14 (14.3 percent) from deep. Chicago has now won seven of its past nine games and is getting closer to surpassing Toronto for the second seed in the East.

Rockets 102 (40-18), Nets 98 (23-33)

Even with James Harden (15 points, 12 assists, 4-15 from the field) struggling most of the night, the Rockets sneaked by the Nets thanks to Terrence Jones (26 points, 12 rebounds, 11-16 from the field) having a season-best performance. The power forward has missed nearly three months earlier in the season because of a nerve inflammation in his left leg. This is the best he has looked in 11 games since returning from this injury. Even with Jones leading the way Friday night, Harden still made the tiebreaking free throw with 43 seconds to go and then went on to nail a jumper to give Houston the 98-95 lead. Jason Terry (5 points) and Jones made their free throws the rest of the way for the victory. Mason Plumlee (15 points, 2 blocks) and Deron Williams (15 points, 5 rebounds) led the Nets in scoring while Brook Lopez (12 points, 12 rebounds) picked up a double-double. Rookie Markel Brown (14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) started his third straight game and looked good for his third straight game. With the type of inconsistency Brooklyn has seen from its backcourt this season, it has to be nice to see such a promising guard bring consistency to the two-guard position.

Clippers 97 (38-21), Grizzlies 79 (41-16)

At times this season, the Clippers have been soft defensively and lacked a strong mental game when the going gets tough. Friday night was the complete opposite as they remained poised and showed a sturdy defense against Memphis’ burly frontcourt. Chris Paul (19 points, 13 assists) shut down Mike Conley (4 points, 2 assists, 2-11 from the field) all night and forced him into having one of his worst performances of his career. DeAndre Jordan (15 points, 22 rebounds, 3 blocks) protected the interior and was a major reason the Grizzlies only managed to shoot 37.9 percent from the field. The big man entered this game averaging 16.1 points and 16.7 rebounds in February. Without Blake Griffin, Paul and Jordan will need to carry the load night in and night out if they want to move up the standings in the West. Without Conley’s production, Memphis had no chance against Los Angeles. There is a reason the lefty was considered by many as an All-Star snub—the Grizzlies offense doesn’t function without their star point guard involved.

Pelicans 104 (31-27), Heat 102 (25-32)

No Anthony Davis? No problem for these surging Pelicans, who have now won four straight. Alexis Ajinca (24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 9-10 from the field, 21 minutes) not only stepped up in place of Davis but became New Orleans’ go-to guy down the stretch. The 7-foot reserve has a soft touch around the rim and never rushes his shot. The Pelicans ran back-to-back plays specifically for Ajinca with a minute left to go as they trailed 102-100. After those two plays, New Orleans led 104-102, which would be the game’s final score. Even though Eric Gordon (20 points, 8 assists, 4-6 on 3-pointers) and Tyreke Evans (19 points, 11 assists) came through in big ways without Davis while Goran Dragic (20 points, 5 assists) turned this game into a layup drill and Henry Walker (16 points, 4-9 on 3-pointers) fired away from anywhere and everywhere beyond the 3-point arc, the story Friday night has to be Mr. Ajinca. If he can find a way to bring this type of production once Davis comes back, a frontcourt rotation of Davis, Omer Asik (5 points, 10 rebounds) and Ajinca could cause havoc late in the season.

Jazz 104 (22-35), Nuggets 82 (20-38)

The boos came out in full force at the Pepsi Center as the Nuggets lacked any type of effort against the Jazz. Derrick Favors (21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Rudy Gobert (10 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks) can be the future frontcourt for the Jazz, as they already have good chemistry and a stout defensive presence. They balance each other well and have more room to grow with the departure of Enes Kanter. Whenever Trey Burke (19 points, 8-12 from the field) can make more than he misses, the Jazz have a much higher likelihood of staying in games. The young guard just needs to find some sort of consistency in his shooting. For Denver, there aren’t many silver linings to be found as their season is turning for the worst. Ty Lawson (8 points, 6 assists, 2-6 from the field) has lost his energy while Jusuf Nurkic remains sidelined. Will Barton (22 points, 8-15 from the field, 30 minutes) reached the 20-point plateau, but his points were insignificant in the blowout loss. The seat keeps getting hotter and hotter for Brian Shaw.

Spurs 107 (35-23), Kings 96 (20-36)

The Spurs snapped their four-game losing streak thanks to a dominating fourth quarter. San Antonio outscored Sacramento 27-18 in the final 12 minutes and received 20 of these points from Tony Parker (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Tim Duncan (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Manu Ginobili (16 points, 6-10 from the field). As we have all seen time and time again, when these three are clicking late in games, there are very few coaches or teams that know how to stop them. The addition and rise of Kawhi Leonard (17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) makes it that much harder. Without DeMarcus Cousins, guards Ben McLemore (21 points) and Ray McCallum (20 points) both reached the 20-point plateau but got there in different ways. McLemore made 10 free throws while McCallum made 10 field goals on the night. The Kings only attempted four three-pointers on the night, making one of them. Sacramento is now 2-11 without Boogie this season.

Lakers 101 (16-41), Bucks 93 (32-26)

Wayne Ellington (14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) finished this game in a much different way he started. Through the first three quarter, the shooting specialist had missed all six of his shot attempts. Then, as if a switch went off in his head, Ellington went off and scored all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter when his Lakers poured on 36 points to only 21 for the Bucks. Jordan Clarkson (16 points, 5 assists) led the Lakers in scoring and has now scored 38 total points the past two games. Ersan Ilyasova (17 points, 12 rebounds) earned a double-double while Giannis Antetokounmpo (13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) added 13 points. In his second game with the team, Michael Carter-Williams (8 points, 4 assists, 4 turnovers) still looks like he will need some time to adjust to Kidd’s system. With Carlos Boozer (10 points, 6 rebounds) back in the starting lineup, the Lakers have now won three games in a row for the first time since December 12-14. They will host the Thunder on the second night of a back-to-back Saturday night.

Blazers 115 (38-19), Thunder 112 (32-27)

This was a extremely entertaining, national-televised game featuring two playoff teams battling back and forth for a full 48 minutes. Even though the Blazers came back from a 15-point deficit thanks to a strong double-double from LaMarcus Aldridge (29 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists) and a pair of big 3-pointers from Wes Matthews (8 points, 3 steals) and Arron Afflalo (18 points, 2-3 on 3-pointers), Russell Westbrook (40 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) still stole the show with his third consecutive triple-double. In just the past two games, the electric point guard has 79 points, 27 rebounds and 22 assists. That is simply absurd. What is even crazier is the fact that his team lost both of those games…but that is the wild Western Conference for you. Mitch McGary (20 points, 9 rebounds) also came alive again after a handful of quiet performances. Damian Lillard (29 points, 5 assists) didn’t have his usual fourth-quarter takeover, but he played well in doing his best to match what Westbrook brought to the game. This win speaks a lot to the Blazers’ poised attitude and ability to sustain punch after punch without being knocked out. If they want to have another run in the playoffs this year, they’ll need to be able to do just that when the postseason arrives.

Vanderbilt’s Kevin Stallings is in a bit of hot water today after cameras caught him cursing out a Commodores player after Vandy took down Tennessee in Knoxville on Thursday night. During the final seconds of the game, Vanderbilt’s Wade Baldwin IV taunted a few Tennessee players as they were leaving the court. Stallings was made aware of this in the post-game handshake line, which led to him grabbing Baldwin, making him apologize and saying “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Here’s Stallings’ official comment on the incident, via The Tennessean:

“One of our players acted inappropriately and violated what we believe is good sportsmanship following the game,” Stallings said in the statement. “In my haste to resolve the situation, I made a very inappropriate comment. While obviously it was not meant literally, it was still inappropriate. I apologized to the player immediately following the game. Displaying good sportsmanship is of the highest priority in our program win or lose. I am very remorseful of my actions (Thursday).”

Quiet as its kept, the Twin Cities are becoming a serious basketball hotbed. Tyus Jones, Rashad Vaughn, and Reid Travis were all named McDonald’s All-Americans last year. In fact, the “Mini Apple” can make a case for having just as many guys considered in the top-150 as most major cities in the country. In between the Minnesota/Wisconsin Border Battle and various T’Wolves games, we hit up an mad high school games within the TC and the ‘burbs.

Added travel time had to be accounted for based on the rough roads throughout the city for an out of towner like myself, but that didn’t stop the TC natives from showing out and packing the gyms. The state’s most hyped prospect, 6’8 junior wing Amir Coffey, was on the shelf with a torn ACL for Hopkins. Inclimate weather conditions derailed us from checking out powerhouses Apple Valley (with Tyus Jones little bro and Gary Trent’s son) and Champlain Park (with handful of D1 players), but we still managed to see some of the state’s very best.

Here are a few of the top ballers that we saw in the Twin Cities outside of the MN/WI Border Battle:

Michael Hurt, 6’7, PF, Rochester John Marshall, 2016 (above)

One of the best pure scorers in the Twin Cities, Michel Hurt showed off the inside/outside game that made Minnesota coach Richard Pitino lock him up so early in the process. He is an absolute lights out shooter, plays the game with a high IQ, and uses his size to take smaller defenders to the post. While he certainly needs to add strength to his 185 pound frame, he still manages to rebound the rock at a high level. Be on the lookout for Michael’s baby bro Matthew too, a 6’8 eighth grader who is the team’s second leading scorer on varsity.

Shae Mitchell, 6’6, SF, Lakeville South, 2018

The best freshman in the state of Minnesota, Shae Mitchell lived up to his rep in what ultimately proved to be the final game of his debut campaign. He was automatic shooting the rock from mid-range, consistently made the extra pass to get teammates open looks, and was an explosive straight line driver. A super dirty flagrant foul on a dunk attempt sent Shae crashing to the ground, leaving him with a broken wrist. Mitchell will have plenty of college coaches impatiently waiting for his return to the hardwood this May on the AAU circuit with We All Can Go All-Stars and Minnesota Future Stars.

Jarvis Johnson, 6’0, PG, DeLaSalle, 2015

Having overcome more than most high school players can even imagine, Jarvis Johnson has proven that he’s one of the city’s elite for a minute now. The shifty lead guard is more athletic than you’d think, is a solid leader, and creates plenty of scoring opportunities for his teammates. Extremely driven to succeed, Jarvis should be able to develop into a real nice piece for “The U.”

Jamil Jackson, 6’6, SF, Minneapolis North, 2016

A wing with outstanding size, we were able to see Jackson crack 1,000 points throughout his career during a win over city league rival Roosevelt. He shot the ball well from deep, defended virtually every position on the hardwood, and showed the type of potential that you hope to see out of an intriguing wing. Jackson will be a wing that catches the eye of college coaches this summer on the AAU circuit when he’s running with Howard Pulley.

Isaac Johnson, 6’4, SG, Minneapolis North, 2017 (above)

The best defender that we saw in the Twin Cities, Isaac Johnson straight up put the clamps on very single player that he was matched up against. He uses his length and athleticism to put serious pressure on the rock, got a ton of deflections, and threw it down every time that he got it in transition. Johnson is yet another Howard Pulley product who will be doing his thing in the EYBL this summer.

Odell Wilson, 6’6, PF/C, Minneapolis North, 2018

Starting for the city’s best public school squad, Wilson showed that he could hold it down in the paint despite being three years younger than most of the guys he went up against. He used his wide frame to control the paint, showed off nimble footwork, and had no problem putting points on the board with either hand. Odell is going to have to get a bit more explosive, but has a lot the tools to be a legit big man down the road.

Spending the better part of three weeks in Houston, I took in no shortage of basketball. Ranging from high school to college to NBA, I was able to see the immense talent that H-Town had to offer. There weren’t a ton of events like the John Lucas HOF Classic that offered all day games, so that meant a lot of running around the city for single games and workouts. Fortunately for me, there was some sort of hoops being played every single day, including Sunday.

High school games aside, two AAU programs had some outstanding Sunday workouts that kept their kids in the lab. Texas Boys Athletic Club, God First AAU, and Basketball University all had Sunday workouts for their guys. Texas Boys Athletic Club (ran by former Texas Tech head coach Chris Walker) and God First (ran by former UCONN forward Michael LeBlanc) hit the gym late on Sundays at Lutheran North, utilizing a lot of footwork for perimeter players while also allowing the guys to get a ton of shots up on the gun. Basketball University had their workouts led by Teddy Wheeler, who had a myriad of stations set up for his guys. The adidas sponsored program went through a detail oriented workout with great intensity. It’s just not the type of stuff that you see on most Sundays during the high school season.

“I think that the kids make the most improvement during the fall and winter. Especially the early winter,” Basketball University director Rhossi Carron explained. “Once they start playing the high school games, it’s really about the team concept and not necessarily individual development.”

Throughout the games and workouts, there were too many potential D-1 prospects to write about, but here are a select few who caught our eye:

Carsen Edwards, 5’10, PG/SG, Atascocita HS, 2016

Running the show for the #1 team in the city, Edwards lived up to the hype from the second we laid eyes on him. While he’s not going to blow you away with his physical attributes, the junior made his impact felt from the second the ball tipped. The aggressive scorer hit countless deep three pointers, pulled up at the drop of a dime, and made pinpoint passes in transition. Primarily a guy who just gets buckets at this point, Carsen is giong to have to continue developing as a lead guard, but brought enough to the table as a shot-maker to get Texas Tech out to see him for the second time in as many weeks.

Kerwin Roach, 6’4, PG/SG, North Shore HS, 2015

H-Town’s top senior is spending more time running the show for the defending state champs and is looking awfuly nice in the process. He used his blazing speed to attack the rim, used his sick hops to finish over the top of the D, and made some solid passes to find the open man. The state champion high jumper is still learning how to run the show as a lead guard and is improving as a shooter, but certainly has the potential to make an impact from the second that he steps foot on campus in Austin.

DeShang “DJ” Weaver, 6’7, PF, Cypress Falls HS, 2018

Perhaps the top freshman in the state, Weaver was the undoubted MVP in his team’s W over Langham Creek. Blessed with the physical attributes of many college players, he’s not your average freshman. DJ is the prototypical modern day power forward, blending a serious motor on the glass with emerging perimeter skill. He has a smooth looking jumper from the outside, beats most opposing bigs down the floor, and could potentially even develop into a swingman by the time it’s all said and done. Additionally, Weaver looks nowhere near developed physically, leading one to believe that he still may have another growth spurt left in him.

Gilbert Thomas, 6’7, SF/PF, C.E. King HS , 2016

A straight freak athlete, Gilbert is forced to man the middle for his high school squad, but we were able to see the potential that he has on the perimeter. He’s got an explosive first step, can lock down on the wing, and will finish everything at the rack with a dunk. ‎Though he’s got a ways to go in the skill level department, he’s the type of athlete and defender that high major schools dream of working with.

Ty’Darius Harris, 6’6, SF, Pro Vison, 2016

Along the lines of Gilbert Thomas, Ty’Darius Harris is a monster athlete who looks to rip the rim off every time that he’s within five feet of the cup. He’s another one of those elite level athletes who can defend multiple positions and is still developing a consistent skill set from the outside. Ty’Darius just made the move over to Pro Vision and will receive considerably more exposure than he did at Waller High School.

Jacobi Gordon, 6’6, SF, Pro Vision, 2018

One of the freshman in the Lone Star State that has everyone talking, it was easy to see what there was to like about Gordon during the workout that we saw. He already has great size for a wing, is a sturdy ball-handler, and has the ability to physically overpower most wings his age. Considered the 2nd best freshman in the city by respected scout Jim Hicks, Jacobi has the potential to develop into a deadly wing prospect.

Miller Kopp, 6’4, SG, Stratford HS, 2018

A lights out shooter with deceptive bounce, Miller Kopp was one of the pleasant surprises that we saw at the Basketball University workout. He plays a real efficient game, knows his limitations, and has a deadly two dribble pull-up. While it was a small sample of Kopp that we were served, it’s certainly enough for us to want to give him another look or two due to his size and stroke.

Let’s rewind to the year 2002, when a 13-year-old Stephen Curry is scrimmaging with his middle school basketball team in Toronto. Curry (wearing No. 12 in yellow) is displaying his mean handles, picking off entry passes from his father, Dell Curry, and of course, pulling up for perfectly released three-pointers. It was just an exhibition game, but clearly Steph had talent well above his peers.

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard bolted from the Los Angeles Lakers after a disastrous season in the summer of 2013, and Kobe Bryant thinks it’s because the big fella didn’t want to play in a hostile (but winning) environment.

Kobe conveniently ignores the fact that Howard joined a much better and younger squad.

Q: In a lot of your interviews, I’ve heard you talk about DNA quite a bit. Are there fewer players in the league now with your kind of DNA than when you first came in? [...] A: “Absolutely. I can only guess, but when I was growing up it was completely OK to be competitive and to want to be better than the other guy. It was completely understood that I was trying to be better than Tim Thomas coming out of high school, and he was trying to be better than me. That was OK, and now it seems like it’s almost passive aggressive — no, I’m not really trying to be better than you, but you really are. As opposed to laying down the gauntlet, and saying, ‘No, we’re going after each other, even though we’re still friends.’ Magic and Isiah (Thomas) were great friends, but it was understood that, ‘I want what you have.’ So I think the AAU circuit might have a lot to do with that, because guys were just around each other all the time, they get to know each other a lot, and they lean on each other a lot for support, which is completely fine. But you wind up seeing so much of a camaraderie where it becomes uncomfortable to really compete.”

Q: You’ve talked about how that should even be the case at All-Star Games, where you’d still go after guys. [...] A: “Go back and watch the 1988 All-Star game, the ’89 All Star game. Those guys competed. They were trying to win, man. And I always tried to do the same thing. … You understand, when I’m matching up with Vince (Carter) in the All-Star Game, or matching up with Dwyane (Wade) in the All-Star Game, they know I’m coming. Hopefully All-Star Games will get back to that.”

Q: One guy who you clearly didn’t think had the right DNA was Dwight Howard. You’ve opened up a bit about how all that went down, but I wanted to run something by you. I’d always heard that you told him in the free agency meeting (in July 2013) that he could be the guy in three or four years when you were done. Is that about right? [...] A: “It’s very simple. It’s not about three or four years, and I’ve told management this. For me, it’s about making sure the Lakers have the right person in place who’s going to carry this franchise. I tried teaching Dwight. I tried showing him. But the reality is that when you have a perception of what it is to win a championship — and most perceptions of what it’s like to win are a very outgoing, very gregarious locker room where you pick each other up and you’re friends all the time. That’s the perception. And I think that’s what his perception was of what the idea is. But when he saw the reality of it, it made him uncomfortable. And it’s very tough to be able to fight through that, to deal with that challenge. And I don’t think he was willing to deal with that uncomfortable and combative nature.”

The backcourt duo has shot around 36% this month, and the Raptors have stumbled to a 4-5 record in February.

DeRozan has put up 16.6 points a game in January, and improved slightly to 17.4 in February.

Per the Toronto Sun:

Asked to describe his game at the moment, Lowry had a quick response: “Me? I’m trash,” Lowry told reporters. “I’m trying to figure it out right now, to be honest with you. I don’t know (how to fix it), that’s why I’m in here, working hard and trying to figure out what to do to get myself back on track.”

“Right next to the trash can (that Lowry’s) is. Both trash,” DeRozan said, matter-of-factly as he signed merchandise following his media scrum.

“I don’t know what it may be, find a rhythm (after missing so much time due to injury), whatever it may be, but it happens,” DeRozan said. “You really realize who you are when you hit adversity and how you get through it. That’s all it is, it’s just we’re both not playing as we expect ourselves to play, especially with the hard work that we put in. We understand that we’re going to stick with it and aren’t going to hold our heads. Once it turns around, I think it’s going to be a scary sight. […] It’s just been difficult, with me personally, coming back from injury, not really having the amount of practice because we have back-to-backs, days off, whatever it may be, but at the same time we’ve got to get smart, try to rest and get treatment as much as possible. I understand that was going to be the tough part of it. The more games I play, the more comfortable I feel and get out of this little slump or whatever you call it. It’s going to be better in the long run.”

In an eight-episode webseries called “Crossroads,” Charlie Villanueva documented his off-season free agency period, which ended up with him signing with the Mavericks. Of course, when you have the cameras rolling almost all

In an eight-episode webseries called “Crossroads,” Charlie Villanueva documented his off-season free agency period, which ended up with him signing with the Mavericks. Of course, when you have the cameras rolling almost all the time, you’re bound to catch some bloppers. Thankfully, they’re in the video above for your viewing pleasure.

And if you missed the series, or just an episode or two, make sure you check it out now:

The L announced Friday that it will begin to share with the public its judgement of the jobs refs do when games are on the line, by releasing play-by-play reports of all calls made at crunch time.

Per the AP:

Starting Monday and continuing throughout the playoffs, the league will release play-by-play reports of all calls and relevant no-calls in the final minutes of close games. Such information had been shared only internally.

The assessments will be released by 5 p.m. the day after each game and will stand as the league’s comment on whether the most disputed calls were correct. The reports will focus on the last two minutes of games that were within five points at the two-minute mark and all of any overtime periods.

The reports will say how the play was graded — correct or incorrect — and will be accompanied by a comment and video link. The reports will be posted at NBA.com/official and also on the league’s media site.

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson attended Ohio State’s 81-57 win Thursday night. He wasn’t there to watch Nebraska.

The 11-time NBA championship coach was getting an up-close look at the Buckeyes’ D’Angelo Russell, who scored 11 points in 26 minutes before sitting out the second part of the second half with some cramps. That tied for Russell’s third-lowest scoring output of the season. […] “He’s a great-looking kid,” Jackson said as he headed out of the arena. “Great prospect.”

The Zen Master was previously fined $25,000 in early June for comments he made about eventual coaching hire Derek Fisher while he was still under contract as a player for the Thunder. […] “He’s definitely a person on my list who could be a very good candidate for this job,” Jackson said then.

Accommodating injuries to your star players is never ideal, but there is always a way for a fantasy championship contender to resolve such issues. As the season winds down, there are always new players putting up productive box score lines, whether it be due to injury or league wide roster decisions and trades. The best fantasy owners are actively perusing the waiver wire or looking for the best value at all times, with the understanding that the season is a marathon and not a sprint.

For the Chicago Bulls, as long as Derrick Rose is out of the lineup (an estimated 4-6 weeks after successful surgery on Friday), Aaron Brooks will definitely have some traction in most fantasy leagues. He can put up some explosive numbers if need be, and even if the Bulls bring in an additional point guard, it would likely be for insurance purposes only. Players like Jimmy Butler and Tony Snell will also be expected to shoulder a greater scoring load at times. You can avoid Kirk Hinrich at this point, who is fantasy irrelevant even if he were to play an entire game at the point. If you are a contender and somebody trigger happy in your league dropped Rose, it’s not a bad idea to pick him up if you have room to stash him. There’s a lot of negative press around Rose’s ability to return to form despite the Bulls’ timetable, but removing the damaged portion of his meniscus could actually have Rose back during the championship round of most fantasy playoffs, performing at a high level.

In Boston, Jared Sullinger‘s absence has already led to a 20-point outburst from newly acquired Jonas Jerebko, but don’t expect that to happen on a consistent basis. Kelly Olynyk is the most likely candidate to finish strong from here on out, as he is set to return himself from an injury. Tyler Zeller, who has had a breakout season of sorts so far, should also provide a slight uptick in production for fantasy owners.

Kemba Walker is reportedly eyeing a mid-March return from meniscus surgery, but until then Mo Williams will have some very productive nights for the Charlotte Hornets as the starting point guard. There’s a reason they brought him in. Even when Walker comes back, don’t be surprised to see Williams see a lot of court time when the Hornets need scoring—which is a lot. Lance Stephenson‘s impossibly low value could get even lower as a result. Charlotte is currently tied for the 8th and final playoff spot in the East, so they aren’t going to put Stephenson on the court more than they need to.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have found their center, in the form of Enes Kanter. Even with Steven Adams closing in on a return from injury, with the departure of Kendrick Perkins you can expect Coach Scott Brooks to give Kanter the heavy majority of the minutes. He has been a great fit from a chemistry perspective, and is a great source of scoring while the Thunder wait to get Kevin Durant back. You can definitely expect Kanter’s monster numbers over the last four games to continue over the course of the season (nearly 16 points and 9 rebounds per game). He’s not going to block shots for his fantasy owners, but that’s a minor quip at this point in the season.

Chris Bosh is going to miss the rest of the season for Miami, and the Heat went out and signed Michael Beasley to a 10-day contract. It’s hard to see him doing anything at all, which leaves players like Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem with a much bigger role. The problem, is both of them are nearing the end of their careers and can only do so much from a fantasy perspective. If the Heat had signed Andray Blatche, he could have provided a major boost to their lineup assuming he played to last year’s level, but management simply didn’t go that route. Unless you are desperate, t’s probably best to avoid all Heat big men not named Hassan Whiteside.

James Harden is carrying the Rockets through the regular season, but for them to make any noise in the playoffs, they will need Dwight Howard back in the lineup. He is likely to be re-evaluated in a week or so, but the Rockets aren’t going to put him back on the court until they are sure he is ready to go. He is still probably going to be back around mid-March, but it’s been a roller coaster for his owners this year. His drop-off in production is likely explained by the knee, so he could be much closer to elite when he gets back on the court. In the meantime, Terrence Jones is a great piece to own and Donatas Motiejunas will continue to have value in deeper leagues. Even when Dwight returns, Jones has finally reestablished himself as the player he was projected to be, averaging over 3 blocks per game over the past 4.

Pacers fans are holding out hope that Paul George can get back in the lineup this month and push the team into one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. There’s a lot of debate as to whether or not he should return at all, even if he is 100 percent cleared by doctors. For some, being 100 percent cleared means the injury is healed and that George should play if he can get into game shape. The Pacers sit only a game back of the final spot in the East, so it’s not out of the question. Additionally, PG-13 continues to act as though he wants to play, but fantasy owners shouldn’t expect last year’s version even if he is able to get into game action. Averaging in the mid- to high-teens in scoring would nevertheless be a good boost for any fantasy contender.

Dan Hanna is SLAM’s weekly fantasy basketball columnist and a life-long Bulls fan. Follow him on Twitter @i_am_danhan. For advice on your fantasy team, post questions in the comments section.

It seems like everyone’s getting in the sock game these days, but Stance was the first to come out with the NBA Legends/Hardwood Classics joints that we love so much. This week, Stance Hoops announced a brand new round of the Legends socks, and we’re pretty hype based off the photos you see above. (Or maybe we’re just still feeling so good after the dope party Stance invited us to over All-Star Weekend?)

More details on the new socks, from our good friends at Stance:

Three years after becoming the first brand to put images of players on socks, Stance announces its newest NBA Legends series that showcases five of the all-time greats. Stance also announces its new Hardwood Classics collection that includes four of the hottest teams in the league.

New NBA Legend socks include Wilt Chamberlain and Scottie Pippen, who are appearing on Stance socks for the first time. Additionally, Allen Iverson, Larry Bird and Shaquille O’Neal are back and captured in better poses than ever.

The four new NBA teams that have been added to Stance’s Hardwood Classics collection are the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. It’s no coincidence that all of them are poised to take their fans on a journey deep into the 2015 Playoffs.

“This line pays tribute to some of the best that basketball has to offer,” said Tzvi Twersky, Basketball Category Director at Stance. “From Allen Iverson’s famous 3-pointer in the 2001 NBA Finals to the throwback Cleveland Cavaliers logo, all the new socks are both iconic and timely.”

The Legend and Hardwood Classic socks, which debuted this week, are available on Stance.com as well as other major Stance retailers.

Catch up on the week’s top tweets from your favorite NBA players. It was a busy week for basketball Twitter, from Kevin Garnett back in Minnesota to llamas running wild to #TheDress debate and more…see for yourself by scrolling through the NBA tweets above.

There were only two games on the NBA schedule Thursday night, but one was a marquee match-up between point gods Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry as the red-hot Cavs welcomed the League’s best team, the Golden State Warriors. In the night’s other matchup, Russell Westbrook looked to continue his torrid play against an exciting Suns team that also happens to wear some of the best kicks this season. Peep our latest recap and you might find yourself being a bit surprised.

The team announced Friday morning that superstar point guard Derrick Rose underwent successful minor surgery on the torn medial meniscus in his right knee, and that they expect him to suit up again this season (which had been the hope all along.)

Forman says Rose should be at practice facility working out again tomorrow

Team physician Brian Cole performed a meniscectomy, and the damaged part of Rose’s meniscus was removed. The surgery was of the outpatient variety and Rose walked out of the hospital.

“I know Derrick is anxious to attack this rehab,” general manager Gar Forman said. “We anticipate a full return to activity. He’s full weight-bearing today. In about a week, he’ll be able to do basketball-related drills and increase his strength and go from there.”

Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season following surgery to repair his torn left ACL in April 2012. Last season, his comeback got cut short after 10 games when he tore his right medial meniscus for the first time in November 2013. In that surgery, Rose had the meniscus reattached and repaired rather than removed.

Rip didn’t play at all last season, and says it’s now time to hang up his sneakers.

Hamilton, a three-time All-Star with career averages of 17.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists, played for three teams and was instrumental for the title-winning 2004 Detroit Pistons:

”I want to give a major shout out to everyone who supported me through my NBA journey.”

”To my coaches, teammates, and fans in Washington, Detroit, and Chicago: thank you for treating me with the utmost class and respect during my career. I couldn’t have been the player I am without you!”

”Every stop taught me valuable lessons that I will remember for the rest of my life. Although this part of my path has come to a close, my basketball journey is far from over and I am looking forward to the road ahead.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/richard-rip-hamilton-announces-nba-retirement-video/feed/0SLAMonlinePaul George Goes Through First Full Team Practicehttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/paul-george-goes-first-full-team-practice/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/paul-george-goes-first-full-team-practice/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:50:24 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=350900

The grueling, seven-month long rehab process for Paul George took a largely symbolic (yet meaningful) step forward Thursday, as the All-Star forward participated in his first full team practice since

The grueling, seven-month long rehab process for Paul George took a largely symbolic (yet meaningful) step forward Thursday, as the All-Star forward participated in his first full team practice since suffering a gruesome leg injury in a Team USA scrimmage last summer.

“Felt good. Felt really good,” George said after the workout, “to be able to go through a full practice now and go up and down, it’s a big step for me.”

Though George has been cleared to practice with teammates, the Indiana Pacers still have not set a timetable for his return to playing in games. Previously, George had said he would like to play in his first game by mid-March. However on Thursday, George, who suffered an open fracture of the tibia and fibula bones in his lower right leg on Aug. 1, would only repeat his optimism for such an early comeback for the court, without stating a firm date. […] “I’m still hopeful,” George said. “That’s the date that I wish to return. (But it’s a) long ways away, still got some steps and some hurdles to overcome. That’s still a goal of mine.”

“We want him to come back when he’s ready to come back. He’s eager to get out on the court, but he’s not going to do it before he’s ready,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We understand once he’s medically cleared to play in a game, then there’s going to be: Is he ready to play in a game? And that could be a few more weeks beyond that. It’s really going to be something we monitor almost on a daily basis and hopefully it progresses as well. […] This is not a dramatic step from where he was,” Vogel said. “Just taking a step. Nothing more than that.”

Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison is scheduled to have a consultation with Dr. William Meyers on Monday at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia before undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury.

Collison suffered the injury in the first half of Sacramento’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5 and has not played since.

He is expected to be re-evaluated in three to six weeks, when more information will be made available.

Often referred to as the Jackie Robinson of the NBA, Lloyd played for nine seasons with three different teams, and won the 1955 NBA title with the Syracuse Nationals.

Lloyd made his NBA debut in 1950 for the Washington Capitals, and was soon joined by fellow black players Sweetwater Clifton and Chuck Cooper.

Per the press release and AP:

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of Earl Lloyd: “The NBA family has lost one of its patriarchs. Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to play in an NBA game, was as inspirational as he was understated. He was known as a modest gentleman who played the game with skill, class, and pride. His legacy survives in the league he helped integrate, and the entire NBA family will strive to always honor his memory. Our deepest condolences to the Lloyd family.”

“The State family mourns the loss of a fellow Yellow Jacket and trailblazer who was a true champion both on and off of the basketball court,” West Virginia State President Brian Hemphill said in a statement. “When Earl stepped out on the court on that fateful date in 1950, this remarkable man rightfully earned his place in the historic civil rights movement and, more important, he opened the door to equality in America.”

The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 560 regular-season games in nine seasons with Washington, Syracuse and Detroit. He missed the 1951-52 season while serving in the U.S. Army. […] Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 as a contributor, Lloyd was 22-55 as Detroit’s coach in 1971-72 and the first nine games in the 1972-73 season.

The point guard battle between Russell Westbrook and Eric Bledsoe was an epic one Thursday night — Russ earned yet another triple-double (the 13th of his career, and second in a row) with 39 points, 11 assists and 14 boards, but Bledsoe led the Phoenix Suns to a 117-113 overtime win against the visiting OKC Thunder.

Bledsoe fell just one assist shy of his own triple-dip, putting in 28 points, nine assists and a career-best 13 rebounds.

The Suns are now 1 ½ games behind the Thunder for the eighth and final Playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Per the AZ Republic:

The Suns (31-28) had been winless in their previous four overtime games and gone 6-16 this season in games decided by five points or fewer but shut out Oklahoma City (32-26) for nearly 3 ½ minutes of the overtime period to end the Thunder’s seven-game winning streak.

“(Westbrook’s) explosive and he’s been playing out of his mind with tremendous confidence over the past month,” said Bledsoe, who played 42 minutes after playing 36 in Wednesday’s win at Denver. “We just tried to show that toughness. Hopefully, it rubbed off on everybody else, which it did. […] I want to win and win as a team. It’s not about one person. At the end of the day, I do feel like I’ve got a bigger load to handle now. I thought B (Brandon Knight) came along and took a lot of it off me and Markieff (Morris) as well.”

“I have to do a better job of leading,” Westbrook said. “We started the game off too slow as a team. It was very unfortunate for us. They made some shots. We got lazy defensively but we kept fighting all game and gave ourselves a chance to win at the end of the game. […] Honestly, tonight, I thought I shot too much. I have to do a better job of trusting my teammates.”

In a relentlessly-hyped possible NBA Finals preview Thursday night, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers sent an unmistakable message to the rest of the NBA.

The Cavs snuffed out the visiting Golden State Warriors 110-99, as LeBron pumped in a season-high 42 points and ripped down 11 boards, while reminding folks that he’s still very much in the MVP race.

This was red-hot Cleveland’s 18th win in their last 20 games.

Per the Akron Beacon Journal:

Despite winning four MVP awards, James has gone largely unnoticed this season while the Warriors’ Steph Curry and Houston’s James Harden have garnered most of the attention. But James outscored and outplayed Curry on Thursday, scoring more points than both Splash Brothers combined. Curry scored 18 points and Klay Thompson had 13 for the Warriors, who lost for the second time in their last three games. They haven’t dropped two games this close together since Christmas.

“If you ask me there’s no discussion about the MVP if he’s not involved in it,” David Blatt said. “Stephen has had a fabulous year and he’s a great player and he’s deserving of all the credit that he’s been getting and certainly deserving to be a frontrunner for that award. But so is our guy.”

“I don’t think we need to go through any litmus tests,” Blatt said. “I think we know what we’re capable of doing and I think we’ve shown that.”

LeBron James looked like a man amongst boys Thursday night in a potential finals matchup. He dropped a season-high 42 points and pulled down 11 boards in a convincing win over Golden State. James outplayed both Splash Brothers combined — Steph and Klay totaled 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving scored 24 points but injured his left shoulder. He didn’t make the trip to Indiana for Friday’s matchup with the Pacers. Kevin Love posted 16 and 8, and Tristan Thompson outworked the opposition en route to 12 and 8. David Lee scored 19, and Draymond Green finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals in the losing effort.

The performance won’t instantly propel the King in front of Steph in terms of MVP rankings, but it’s definitely a good look.

The explosive guard was a terror — especially in the second half and overtime. Russ now leads the league with 4 triple-doubles on the season. He brought his team back from down 14 to send the game to overtime. However, he couldn’t finish a reverse layup with 5.7 seconds left in the extra period that would’ve tied the game.

This was one of the best PG battles we’ve seen all season. Eric Bledsoe was nearly as impressive as Westbrook; he went for 28 points, 13 boards and 9 assists. And more importantly, his team came out on top. Markieff Morris added 29 points and 11 rebounds, Alex Len contributed 12 and 11 and Brandon Knight dropped a cool 15.

When Nike Basketball invited us to a four-week training program to wear-test new product and work with some of the world’s best basketball trainers, we couldn’t say Yes fast enough. Little did we know that over the past month, we’d get worked out 1-on-1 by the likes of Tim Grover, Jerry Powell and Idan Ravin (trainers to greats like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, Paul George, LeBron James and just about every big-time hooper in the L right now) and get a chance to run in the Kobe X, KD 7 and more of the latest Swoosh sneakers to hit retail.

At All-Star Weekend, Nike transformed an otherwise forgettable New York City block into the Zoom Arena—where we got to hoop in the Nike Zoom City Classic with Common, J.Cole, Stalley and Ansel Elgort, among other celebrities on an epic LED basketball court, and the festivities were hosted by James Harden and Anthony Davis.

During All-Star, we also got a sneak peek at Nike’s brand new “SNKRS” app (which is dope, by the way) and a chance to hear from Nike designer Leo Chang, Scottie Pippen, JR Smith, Odell Beckham Jr. speak about sneaker culture live from the Zoom City Bank in Brooklyn.

Scroll through the photos above to get a sense of what Zoom City Training was all about. Big thanks to Nike for inviting us along the #ZoomCity journey over the past four weeks, and for allowing Editor-in-Chief Ben Osborne and Associate Editor/KICKS Abe Schwadron get out on the court!

In your bizarre news of the week, two girl’s basketball teams in Tennessee purposely tried to lose a game against each other last Saturday to avoid having to face a national powerhouse in the regional playoffs. Now, both won’t be facing anyone in the playoffs, as they’ve been suspended from the tournament as a result. Additionally, according to the Daily News Journal, each school was fined $1,500.

Well, due to the way the regional tournament was seeded, the loser of the consolation game would be placed on the other side of the regional tournament bracket as national powerhouse Blackman High School. Both Riverdale and Smyrna had already lost to Blackman earlier this season, and it appears both thought if they lost the game they would have a better chance to make it to the Region 4-AAA finals.

The referee said “one time a Riverdale girl looked at one of the officials and gave the official a 3-second signal wanting him to call three seconds on her. Smyrna stood in the lane as well to have us call three seconds on them.”

The referee wrote that he finally called the coaches together for a meeting after “a Smyrna player was about to attempt a shot at the wrong basket (but there was a 10-second violation call before they attempted the shot) on purpose.

“That was when I called both coaches together and told them we are not going to make a travesty or mockery of the game. WE ARE NOT GOING TO START TRYING TO SHOOT AND SCORE FOR THE OTHER TEAM.”

Eventually a school administrator from Smyrna approached head coach Shawn Middleton and demanded to know why the starters weren’t in the game.

“We were told the (administrator) went up to him and said, ‘What are you doing,” [Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association executive director Bernard] Childress said. “They told them, ‘You need to play to win the ball game and stop this.’ That’s when he put his starters back in.”

The sixth colorway of the Nike Kyrie 1 is inspired by the bond that he built with his teammates at Duke. He only spent one year in Durham, but Kyrie Irving still feels super-connected to the Blue Devils. Plus, the black and blue makes for a super-clean colorway. The Nike Kyrie 1 “Brotherhood” drops on March 12, along with matching tees and hats, available at Nike.com and select retailers. How does the “Brotherhood” colorway stack up against previous looks of the K1?

Few players in college basketball rain down fire on rim like Arkansas junior Michael Qualls, the self-proclaimed @Mr_WalkOnAir and author of 12 SportsCenter Top 10 appearances. Last year, the 6-6 wing flushed home a last-second dunk to win an overtime thriller against a ranked Kentucky team. This year, of course, the No. 1 Wildcats are back with a vengeance and off to the best start in program history. But the 22-5 Razorbacks have improved a lot, too, boasting that program’s best start in 17 years.

Qualls, the SEC’s eighth-leading scorer, is a major of part of No. 18 Arkansas’ plans to knock off No. 1 Kentucky on the road this Saturday. SLAM recently sat down with the dunk lord to talk about the big game, growing up in a single-father household in Shreveport, LA, and his friendship with a certain Dallas Cowboys cornerback.

SLAM: Let’s get right to it. Is there a specific type in-game dunk that you’ve done that is your most favorite?

Michael Qualls: Probably every one. My high school favorite dunk used to be the windmill, and I used to have a little back dunk where I brought it down between my legs off two feet. Now that we’re in SEC big boy basketball, my favorite dunk is just any dunk putting somebody in the rim—just me going up against them.

SLAM: Are some of your dunks planned and some of them purely instinctive—like the put-back dunks? Tell me what’s going through your mind.

MQ: All of my dunks are instinctual. Every time I drive, I have it on my mind. So if I have a crease or if the ball goes off the rim and no one boxes me out, I’m gonna run and am gonna try to put it back. That’s every time. But most of the time, due to the film other teams have on me, they don’t lose me too much. When the ball’s going up, they put bodies on me and they find me. But every time I catch somebody sleeping and not boxing me out, guaranteed I’m gonna go in there.

SLAM: Are people sleeping less now that your dunks have been on SportsCenter so many times these last two seasons?

MQ: Yeah, you know, it’s hard. I try to be a player that can move without the basketball and play without the basketball—back cutting and that type of stuff. That’ll free me up, too. Like in the Alabama game, I’m cutting through and the shot goes up—bam, I’m right there. [See the 2:15 mark in the vid below]

SLAM: About that Alabama game. The second highlight dunk you did is a little Mailman style [see the 2:25 mark in this vid], no? Was that a homage to Karl Malone, also a north Louisiana native?

MQ: Actually, I did that dunk back at home in a rival game versus a rival team named Fair Park. It was just in the spare of the moment. I just wanted to make a statement because I just missed a free throw. So I just wanted to come down and make a punctualization on the game, and that’s what I did. They told me it was Karl Malone’s dunk, but I didn’t even have a clue.

SLAM: Other times, you’re flexing and kissing your biceps after a dunk. That’s not a la Karl Malone either?

MQ:[Shaking head, laughing] That’s crazy, I guess it’s just a lineage growing. Because I do what I do at the spur of the moment. If I feel I made a strong physical play, I give them a kiss or flash them.

SLAM: Looking ahead to Kentucky, do you think Arkansas performs better against Calipari-led Kentucky teams than most other SEC schools?

MQ: You know, I just feel for the most part we step up to the occasion. We don’t like people sleeping on us, so of course Kentucky is a big game for us, like for everybody. Everybody who has a chance to play them, I am pretty sure likes to step up to the occasion. [Against Kentucky] we come with that edge every year. Since I have been here, we haven’t lost to them. So to us, we’re the better team. We’re the top dogs. Not to shy away from what they do, because they are one of the best basketball teams in the country every year.

SLAM: Of course, it’s a different UK team this year with many different players. How do you expect you will perform? How do you expect the team will perform on the road in this game?

MQ: I am sure we are going to come out and play with our hearts, just like we do every game. I feel that our young guys will follow our leads. I think Bobby Portis is going to come, he is going to play big, like he’s played all season. I know we will step up to the occasion.

SLAM: When you get attention for the dunks, for the highlights, do you feel a little bit anxious that may be taking a lot of attention away from your teammates?

MQ: No, I really don’t, because most of those plays either came from a shot that they missed or a lob or alley play so they’re getting me involved. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have a lot of those plays. For the most part, it’s off a good assist or a good pass or a good defense that leads to them getting me the ball. They know I don’t hold any type of ego issues or nothing like that. We all have the utmost faith for each other.

SLAM: This whole theme of Arkansas returning to national prominence has gone on for years now. What do you think defines when Arkansas is back? How do you define that breakthrough?

MQ: When we have the respect that I feel we deserve. Because right now, it’s still not quite there. [Others say] we have a great duo, but they’ve got a better team. We are heading in a better direction. But then when everybody starts saying we are not heading in the right direction, but we are there. That’s when we’re gonna be there. When you say, without a doubt, that Arkansas is one of the best teams, that’s when we will be finally be there.

SLAM: In order for this team to take the next step, where do you have to improve the most?

MQ: I need to just be the guy. When everything goes down to the tip of the wire and it’s time to just man up. Who are we gonna need to bring this toughness, to bring whatever it is—whether it’s the game on the line, and you need the big shot, you need a big stop, you need a big block, you need to encourage someone? I think I am that guy to bring that passion to this team.

SLAM: Let’s talk about your past. Growing up, did you personally know or look up to any big-time basketball players in the area?

MQ: No. To be honest, we didn’t have too many positive role models coming up. Or I didn’t—especially in Shreveport. We had like Stromile Swift—he was one of the only basketball guys that went to a big time level, an SEC school, and made it to the next level. We had Morris Claiborne—he’s a friend of mine—but he played football.

SLAM: Are you and Morris communicating often?

MQ: Yeah, he’ll holler at me from time to time if I’m back at home and he’s not doing his profession. Yeah, we’ll meet up and talk.

SLAM: Ya’ll ball together back in Shreveport?

MQ: Yeah, he used to play basketball and football for Fair Park. Matter of fact, my freshman year, he had dunked on a guy on our team. It was crazy, I had never seen nothing like it. Morris, he’s a crazy athlete.

SLAM: You’ve got a 2-year-old-son, Michael Qualls Jr. How often are you able to talk to him during the season?

MQ: I talk to him every day. I try to get him. My child’s mother, she plays here (at the UA) so I either FaceTime him or call him. I don’t really get to see him [in person] that much ’cause I stay far away, but whenever my people can get him here I embrace that. He’ll come out and spend the weekend with me. But whenever we do spend time, it’s special. I understand I can’t be with him how I want to right now, but I try to keep my mind focused, and I try to use this as motivation to keep going.

SLAM: He stays with relatives in Shreveport?

MQ: He stays with my grandmother and my dad and her mother, alternating.

SLAM: And I know your dad was a single parent growing up. That’s different because it seems you hear a lot about basketball stars growing up with a single mother, but tell me your story.

MQ: There were issues…they gave custody to my father so I moved away from Georgia to Shreveport. You know, a lot of people don’t have their fathers—especially in black households in the South. But I was blessed to have mine, and he just taught me to be a man. There are a lot of times when he had to go work because he had to put food on the table, so Grandma used to watch me. And it’s ironic now because here I am now trying to put food on the table and my dad, he’s a grandfather, he is taking care of my son.

SLAM: The tattoos on your left shoulder look like they are about family. What do they say?

MQ: My life—this is Vera, my grandmother; Anthony, that’s my father, and Michael Jr—my son. And these are three people that I hold to the highest standards and these are the three people that am working for.

SLAM: Does your son come with you to gym and to practice here in Fayetteville?

MQ: Whenever my dad has the time to bring him up here, he’ll come here and he’ll just be running around in the stands. He’ll be with Mrs. Anderson, Coach’s A’s wife, and his mother just watching me practice.

There is a little more clarity now as to why Louisville parted ways with senior guard Chris Jones earlier this week. Jones plead not guilty to charges of rape and sodomy today stemming from two separate alleged incidents which occurred on Sunday morning, just hours after Jones returned to the Cardinals after serving a suspension. Here is the completely statement issued by the university regarding Jones’s dismissal:

Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones pleaded not guilty on charges of raping one woman and sodomizing another.

Judge Sheila Collins released Jones on home incarceration in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

The warrant, signed Wednesday by Jefferson District Judge Katie King, says that one of the women was hospitalized Sunday and able to identify Jones as her assailant. One of the women is 19 and the other 20, according to the warrant.

A second warrant says Jones, along with two other people, forced a woman to have intercourse and oral sex. She also identified Jones as a U of L player, according to the warrant. She was taken to University of Louisville Hospital, where she was treated.

Those defendants have been arrested and are to be arraigned Thursday morning in Jefferson County Jail. Jessie Halladay, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office , identified them as Tyvon Walker and Jalen Tilford. Walker was charged with one count of rape and Tilford with one count of rape and one count of sodomy.

Not only is he named after one of the hardest materials on earth; he has the mental and physical prowess to match it.

A 6-10 five-star prospect who many tout as the top ranked center in the Class of 2015, Diamond Stone has been just as unbreakable on the hardwood as the powerful rock his first and last name cleverly delineate—while also applying that same kind of sturdy approach to the mental aspect of his game after overcoming early criticism in his career.

The uncommitted senior, who’s cut his list to four schools (Wisconsin, UConn, Maryland and Oklahoma State) and plans to announce in the spring, gained national notoriety after blowing up toward the end of his eighth grade year at the 2011 John Lucas Camp. There, while competing against America’s best middle schoolers, he returned home as one of the top rising post players. Yet many of his peers in the Milwaukee area didn’t quite share the same sentiment.

“I come back and some people are talking bad about me, saying I shouldn’t be where I’m at,” he recalls. “Many were like, ‘Of course you’re good at basketball, you’re tall.’ But they didn’t know how hard it was for me to get there. The criticism was challenging. People tearing you down but then wanting to get closer to you now. It’s just bumps on the road, though.”

Today, such chatter is nonexistent, as he finds himself on the cusp of history. After helping lead Dominican High to state championships in all of his first three years, including last year’s title run where he averaged 24.2 points and 13.2 rebounds as a junior and recorded 28 points, 11 boards and 8 blocks in the title game, he’s one state crown away from an unprecedented feat.

According to Stone’s dad Robert, who played college ball at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, four-peating would make his son the first player in state history to do so while being a major contributor in each of the titles. (A player from the town of Randall is said to have also won four titles but didn’t have much of a role as a freshman.) Stone, on the other hand, has had his presence felt since day one, averaging 13.4 ppg and 8.1 rpg as a ninth grader while posting 16.9 and 11.6 as a sophomore.

“It will be a major milestone for me,” says the blue chipper of what’s at stake this season, which he kicked off with a massive 33-point, 22-rebound performance in the opener. “That would mean a lot, especially for a kid who many people thought would never be where I am. So I’m just going to leave it all out there this year.”

He is also said to have been the first Milwaukee native to play on the USA Basketball Men’s developmental teams, leading the U16 and U17 squads to FIBA gold medals.

Stone closely studies the film of DeMarcus Cousins, whom his game is often compared to, and he’s become a top priority for all collegiate programs interested in his recruitment. With the process becoming overwhelming at times, Stone has decided to focus strictly on the season and his academics while his parents help him navigate the recruiting trail.

And so while a diamond stone may be known as a girl’s best friend, for the four college coaches anxiously awaiting this stud’s decision, it may be the only name standing between landing the nation’s top ranked center or having to go back to the mines in search of another.

Franklyn Calle is an Assistant Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7.

“Jared and I have talked a lot about [his conditioning] over the past year,” Ainge said. “It’s something we take great pride in with our players. Our players have really bought in to our program and a lot of guys – I think every guy has met the goals that they have set in regards to strength and conditioning, and body-fat, and weight, and all the different things our strength coaches do on a regular basis. Jared just hasn’t met his goals.

“He’s not up to the standards that he wants, and is not up to the standards that we think are in his best interests for the long-term health of his career. He’s not up to par to the standards that we feel are necessary to be a consistent winning player and play with great conditioning.”

“I got in better shape [last summer], but there’s another level to it,” Sullinger told reporters. “There’s always another level to everything. I just have to take it to another level. This year I came back in a little bit better shape. Obviously, it wasn’t good enough. Now I just have to get back to the grit and grind, kind of break my body down just to build it back up. I think that’s what I’m going to do this summer.”

LeBron James is good at playing basketball. We knew this, and it was further confirmed on Tuesday when he broke Scottie Pippen’s record for most assists ever by a forward. Pippen played in about three hundred more games during his career than LeBron has so far, so by the time James retires he’ll be way ahead of the pack.

But before LeBron leaves a handful of legends in the dust, we should appreciate what those old guys brought to the game. Pippen will have his day on this sacred turf known as TBT, but right now the spotlight is on some dude from French Lick.

Larry Bird could pretty much do whatever he wanted on the floor. You were toast if he got cozy on the right elbow, where he could hit a turnaround jumper over anybody or miraculously find a cutting man. He was a nightmare on the break, too, creating Jason Kidd-esque confusion by forcing defenders to reach here before he flung the ball over there.

He also should get some credit for that crazy bucket Trevor Booker hit earlier this year — Bird was bizarrely comfortable zipping the ball over his head backwards, as you’ll see in the video above.

“I think we’ve got a few guys who believe in it,” Scott said. “I’m not one of them.” […] “I listen to them and all that stuff and take it into consideration,” he said, “but I’m still just old school.”

General Manager Mitch Kupchak defended the Lakers’ use of analytics on ESPN 710 AM, the Lakers flagship radio station, pointing to the full-time employees who come through SportVU camera data. […] “We’ve actually had an analytic department that goes beyond traditional analysis now for several years,” Kupchak said. Kupchak described advanced metrics as “an asset to the coaches,” although it’s one Scott doesn’t care to use. He said assistant coach Mark Madsen keeps him up to speed on what analytics say.

Asked if they had influenced any major coaching decisions this year, he wasted no time considering his answer. […] “No,” he said.

Indiana Pacers All-Star forward Paul George continues to push hard in his rehab from a gruesome leg injury last summer, and though there’s been talk about him possibly suiting up this season, PG isn’t quite ready to declare himself fit to play.

In the second episode of “The Road Back” series, George’s teammatates, coaching and front-office staffs discuss his arduous journey.

Battier — who obsessively studied Kobe Bryant prior to each of their (mostly one-sided) battles throughout a stellar 13-year career — says he owes much of his success to the careful scrutiny of opponents’ tendencies, and closely examining the numbers.

Z-Bo got away with a two-piece elbow combo to Boogie’s grill, and the two big fellas continually jawed and shoved one another.

Cousins, meanwhile, took his anger out on an innocent chair

The Kings hung on for a 102-90 win.

Per the SacBee:

“Coming in against Memphis you know it’s going to be a physical game,” Cousins said. “How can I say this and keep my money. You know how it goes, so yeah.”

Coach George Karl was called for a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing on Cousins’ behalf.

“(Cousins’) emotions, he’s one of these guys who wears them on his sleeves,” Karl said. “My preference would be he learned to control it but I’ve also had guys it takes a year or two or three to learn how to control it. Gary Payton didn’t learn how to control it early in his career. I’ve seen Sam Cassell when I had Sam and Sam would have emotional breakdowns throughout his career and now he’s coaching with the Clippers. DeMarcus has to continue to understand that we’ll get better at making him better but he’s got to play and make us better too.”

As March Madness approaches, eight teams will be suiting up in adidas “Made in March” collection. The following programs will debut the new uniforms in conference tournament play: NC State, Texas A&M, Kansas,

As March Madness approaches, eight teams will be suiting up in adidas “Made in March” collection. The following programs will debut the new uniforms in conference tournament play: NC State, Texas A&M, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and UCLA.

You might recognize the name Xavier Rathan-Mayes from his high school days up in Canada, when he ran with CIA Bounce and was best friends with Tyler Ennis and Andrew Wiggins. It’s taken X a little more time to get rolling, since he had to sit out last year to due academic ineligibility issues. But last night he reminded us all why he was a Top-10 shooting guard recruit in his class. Against Miami on Wednesday, the Florida State freshman racked up 30 points in the last 4:39 of what ended up being an 81-77 loss. You read that correctly. Just watch:

Rathan-Mayes finished with 35 points on 10-19 shooting. At one point, he scored 26 straight for FSU, and scored or assisted on the ‘Noles final 38 points of the game.

If you want to learn more about Rathan-Mayes, check out this piece from VICE Sports from over the summer. Pretty cool stuff:

This Saturday, February 28, marks the launch of PUMA’s debut collection with New York-based do-it-all designer Vashtie Kola. We caught up with Vash for SLAM 186:

Vashtie Kola’s attention span is minimal—and she knows it. “I get really distracted with the things that I am doing and the projects I plan to do,” she says. But when it comes to the subject of fashion, she immediately reveals focus, knowledge and sophistication. Indeed as a designer, she has managed to turn her self-diagnosed ADD into her professional ATM.

Whether it’s DJing, filmmaking or carving out a name for herself as a fashionista, Vashtie uses New York City’s hip-hop culture as her canvas. A most recent example is her new collaboration with Puma. Connecting urban art with commerce and personal expression, her Puma Premium apparel and footwear collection features unisex sportswear inspired by the B-Boy era, which infuses a burgundy/navy blue color palette with denim/corduroy textures and modern breathable fabrics. The second part of her new Puma line celebrates the “independent entrepreneurial woman” and features day-to-night functional, luxury athletic wear.

A social media darling and highly sought brand ambassador with major houses (Jordan Brand, G-Shock, Beats Solo), Vashtie is now more about breaking down barriers and changing peoples’ lives through sound and vision. “I feel like I am going through a personal and professional growth spurt,” she says. This evolution, with the help of organic raw foods, Reiki, chiropractic re-alignment, and even Transcendental Meditation, is clearly communicated in her work and discovering her “next level” of self.

Born in New York’s capital city of Albany, she follows all local teams (Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, Giants) except the Jets and insists on manufacturing Violette, her own growing international clothing line, in her home state. While it is less of a fiscal constraint to make clothing overseas, she says “it is the responsible thing to do.”

Vashtie’s style and substance is what makes her an emerging tastemaker who is getting things done and doing it right.

Michael Beasley has signed a contract to play his third stint with the Miami Heat. The Heat needed frontcourt help after losing Chris Bosh for the season, and Beasley is a familiar face who could fit in seamlessly.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/miami-heat-sign-michael-beasley-10-day-contract/feed/0SLAMonlineHow to Fix the New York Knicks: An Open Letterhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/skyzoo-knicks-future/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/skyzoo-knicks-future/#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 17:05:03 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=350764

As a lifelong Knicks fan, I’ve endured the highs, lows, ups, downs, triumphs and travesties of our beloved NYKs. From “The Dunk” to “The Finger Roll“, I’m proud to say that as a born and raised New Yorker and loyal blue and orange bleeder, “I done seen it all” (cue Jeezy vocals). But within that pride, sometimes you realize that pride is not enough. Sometimes you see a relationship being held up on one end and not both simultaneously. So lately, this season in particular, it’s “f**k pride, you muthaf***as need to fix this s**t, NOW!” (Pardon the outburst.) In light of the ensuing rebuild, I as a New Yorker understand that sadly a rebuild in the most recognizable and brightest city in the world is almost impossible. Anyone saying differently hasn’t spent enough time in NY to really understand our cloth. This city is about the moment, the “right now.” And sometimes that’s our biggest fault, but hey, it just is what it is. So how does one go about rebuilding this team while appeasing the NYK faithful who are 40+ years in debt on a Championship celebration? Well, in my most humble and observatory opinion, as someone who’s grown up with the sport of basketball as much as he has his music career, here’s a starting 5 for the future theory:

PG: Emmanuel Mudiay

With our likely top 5 pick in this year’s draft, the consensus is to roll with Jahlil Okafor. I’ll start by saying this; Jahlil is a great option. He’s got star written all over him, and I’m sure he’ll be a perennial All-Star, but down the line. As good a player as he is, I still see a slight work-in-progress depending on the team he’s placed on. Philly, Utah, Minnesota? Sure, he’d easily blossom and have the room to edit along the way. But in the city of New York, as a rookie, I’m not sure if the responsibility awaiting next year’s roster is an order he can handle right away. Starting center with a city thinking Patrick Ewing when they hear the words “starting center” is a lot for a rookie, especially one with only one year of college experience. Here’s where I go with Mudiay. In today’s league, current free agent PFs and Cs seem to be more readily available than free agent PGs. There aren’t too many PGs in the open market who can keep up physically night in and night out with the Kyries, Westbrooks, Walls, Lillards, Currys, etc. of the modern-day era. Goran Dragic? Rondo? I’m a fan of them both but the list above still runs youthful circles around them. Mudiay is a 19-year-old who wants to do nothing more than run. A balanced threat across the board on both ends of the court, dribble/pass/shoot, legit 6-5, to me he’s not just an easy pick—he’s the only pick for next year’s team and the foreseeable future of the franchise.

SG: Wesley Matthews

In Wesley, you get a 2 guard who for, say, four years/$40 million, will be the defensive anchor in the backcourt and wings that we so desperately need, as well as a ridiculous sharpshooter, slasher, and again, defensive anchor. Picture Shumpert with a consistent jumper and more mature/collected control of the game. All around prototypical 2-guard and perfect compliment for the team’s spotlight piece.

SF: Carmelo Anthony

That spotlight piece mentioned above, the face of the team and arguably greatest scorer of the modern day era, Melo has gotten an unfairly bad rap since his arrival. Has he ever gotten to play with a real squad? I mean a REAL squad? Has he ever had the pieces that his friends Lebron and Chris Paul and DWade and so many others have had? Ever? No. Not even in Denver. But both the media and the so-called NYK faithful have no problem forgetting/ignoring that facet and bashing the God in various comments sections at will. With this potential roster, it’ll be the first time Melo has TRULY had help. And not just “help”, but the right type of help, suited around his strengths and weaknesses. Explaining Melo’s small forward capabilities isn’t needed here, just YouTube him and marvel in dopeness.

PF: Greg Monroe

A young piece with an old soul, he’s perfect for the additional 20+ points/10+ rebounds that Melo deserves to be able to depend on night in and night out. Left-handed, old school-paced and controlled game, hook shot, dribble work, post game, free throws, low-key demeanor on the court—he’s what Amar’e was supposed to be for Melo upon arrival. And the biggest component: he’s young. Again, help for now and the foreseeable future. Four years/$36 million? Sure, book it.

C: DeAndre Jordan

A true 7 footer who dunks, blocks shots and dunks some more, DJ would be absolutely perfect with the other four pieces mentioned above. Excitement at the Garden would live like never before, but more importantly, we’d have a healthy 7-footer with a desire to volleyball shots into the stands and be rewarded on the other end of the court via Mudiay lobs and Melo kick outs from double teams. And once again, the common denominator, he’s young. Foreseeable future indeed. The Clippers National Bank seems to be closing this summer due to SF needs and two max players as is, so giving him 11 mil a year for four years? Book it.

Place two veterans on the bench for locker room leadership and intangibles for the vets minimum (a la 2012 Jason Kidd/Rasheed Wallace), Tim Hardaway Jr/Lance Thomas/Langston Galloway and some more, new, inexpensive bench pieces, and the third seed in the East is draped in blue-and-orange paint. So dear NYK brass, on Draft night, don’t do the typical things, do the logical thing; draft Emmanual Mudiay, and follow it up with the pieces named via free agency.

The one sure thing: The passive-aggressive dynamic is done. All the cards are on the table after an expletive-laced shouting match for the basketball world to see and another behind closed doors that sources say was even more explosive.

Rondo, a nine-year veteran with one of the highest basketball IQs in the league, believes that’s a big part of his job (calling plays) as a point guard. Carlisle, one of the NBA’s best offensive minds, doesn’t want to hand the keys of his sports car over to a guy he just met. […] It’s similar to the friction between Carlisle and future Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd during their first season together, except they never had “SportsCenter”-leading shouting matches. Carlisle ceded control to Kidd in midseason, and that duo played prominent roles in the Mavs’ title run a few years later.

Could history repeat itself? Don’t hold your breath. The reality is Rondo’s run with the Mavs is extremely unlikely to extend past this season. […] The question is whether Carlisle and Rondo can find the common ground necessary to work together the rest of the season and provide the Mavs any hope of making a playoff run.